A Shinobi's Take on this Wonderful World
by SpiritSage124
Summary: Kazuma already has enough trouble looking after the "problem children". A priest that causes more harm than good, a hot-headed mage that is only good for one spell a day, and a perverted crusader that can't swing a sword to save her life... Why not add a loudmouthed ninja who yearns to stand out? Rated T for "prudish" humor.
1. What's an RPG?

**Prologue**

 **A/N: Revised as of 3/21/2019**

* * *

'…Huh? Where am I?'

A boy with bright blonde hair wearing orange clothes glanced around the small room with blurry eyes. He tried to recall his memories, but his mind was a bit fuzzy.

When his eyes finally adjusted, the boy found himself in a small dark room.

Sitting across from him in the small space was a girl who was smiling at him.

"H-hi…"

The boy mentally kicked himself for stuttering, but he couldn't help himself because the woman was that beautiful.

Long silver-white hair, with violet eyes and a heart-shaped face. The girl could only be compared to an angel and even a goddess.

The girl's eyes had a hint of sadness in them.

"Hello, Uzumaki Naruto. Welcome to the world after life ends. I am the goddess who will guide your way, Eris."

"…Eh?"

Seeing the confusion on Naruto's face, the goddess continued with an almost apologetic look.

"There is no easy way to say this, but your time in the mortal world is over."

As if a switch had been flipped, the memories of the war began to rush into Naruto's head.

"Ah, so that's how it is. I died."

Despite knowing that he was dead, Naruto felt strangely calm. Like he already knew that everything was going to be okay.

"Um, Eris? Can I ask you something? How did everything turn out? Did the war end? Did we win?"

Eris smiled, and Naruto immediately felt a sense of relief. The goddess radiated serenity, and it made him feel relaxed.

"The Fourth Great Shinobi War has indeed ended. After you and your friend defeated Madara Uchiha, Obito Uchiha sacrificed himself and revived all of the lives lost in the war."

"That Rinnegan technique that Nagato used to revive everyone? But wait, how did I die?"

After Naruto asked that, Eris gained a sour expression.

"The mastermind behind it all, Black Zetsu, tried to take over your body after Obito finished using the technique and perished. Because you were so drained from your previous battles, it took your all just to keep Black Zetsu from attacking your friends with your body. Then you…"

"…asked Sasuke to kill me, along with that Black Zetsu bastard."

Naruto finished when the memories of his death finally came back. In a last-ditch act of rage, Black Zetsu was going to use his body to kill everyone that he held dear to him. If Sasuke wasn't there, Naruto likely would have had his precious people's blood on his hands.

Leaning back in the chair he was sitting in, Naruto took in a deep breath. Sasuke was in a dark place, what with his claim of killing the current Kage and revolution.

'But the look on Sasuke's face while I was dying is all I need to trust that he will do the right thing.'

Naruto thought with a short nod, he had no choice but to believe.

Deciding that he would place his faith in his 'best friend,' Naruto leaned forward and grinned widely at the goddess in front of him.

"Alright! I'm ready for hell!"

"!?"

Seeing the goddess's befuddled expression, Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"What's the matter?"

Eris quickly stood up, a frantic look on her face.

"W-what makes you think I'm sending you to hell? You're a hero!"

"Hero or not, I'm a shinobi. I've _killed_ people. Of course I'm going to hell."

Naruto responded like it was only natural, because it was. No matter what the reason, killing was wrong. Naruto knew this and lived a life prepared for what came after he died.

Eris sat back down in her chair.

"You experienced so much pain and loneliness in your life, yet you still believe that you do not deserve salvation…"

Naruto was slightly taken aback. This goddess was showing so much concern for someone she had only just met. Such kindness… As expected of a goddess.

Noticing the strange look on Naruto's face, Eris blushed and straightened herself.

"Well then, I have a proposition for you. I hope that you will at least hear me out."

Naruto inched back in his seat and glanced at Eris suspiciously.

"Wait… Don't tell me that you're actually a devil that is trying to make a deal for my soul."

"Of course not!"

Eris yelled and stamped a foot, her ears burning red in frustration.

"Hahaha! Sorry, I was just kidding!"

Naruto said and held his now aching stomach. He understood the situation he was in, but there was something about this goddess that made him want to tease her.

"Tease a goddess, and you will receive divine retribution…"

Eris muttered with puffy cheeks.

"Sorry! It won't happen again!"

Naruto shouted obediently and sat up straight in his chair.

Suspicion still evident in her eyes, Eris summoned a piece of paper out of thin air.

"In another dimension than your own, exists a world that is threatened by a demon king. Because of the demon king's attacks, fewer and fewer people want to be reincarnated into this world. To solve this problem, a plan was issued to ask people from other worlds who still yearn to live to reincarnate into this world in response to the declining population."

"I don't really get the dimensional talk, but you basically want me to go there and kick this demon king's ass?"

Naruto asked, and Eris nodded.

"Yes. Should you accept, you would not only keep your memories and your chakra, but you would also be granted a divine relic of your choosing. An ability, or a weapon with god-like power."

"That's okay! All I need are my two fists!"

Naruto claimed with confidence and slammed his fists together.

"Are you sure there isn't anything you wish to bring?"

Eris asked with a knowing smile.

Naruto tilted his head in confusion when it dawned on him.

Kurama!

How could he have forgotten the grumpy old fox that he shared a body with his whole life!? So, without a second thought:

"I'd like to bring Kurama to this new world! Erm… That is if he wants to come with me..."

Naruto said while poking his fingers together nervously. After all, since he died, Kurama's chakra would have dispersed into nature and would reincarnate somewhere in the Elemental Nations after some time. The fox would be free, just like he always wanted. They had only just become friends… If one could even call it friendship.

Eris smiled reassuringly.

"I've already spoken with Kurama, and when I explained the situation, he said: "I've grown bored of this world anyway" and agreed to go with you."

Eris said while making a grumpy voice that must have been her impression of the nine-tailed fox.

Naruto's eyes widened upon hearing this, and he couldn't help but laugh. That sounded just like something Kurama would say, and it was relieving to hear the fox wanted to tag along on this adventure.

Eris suddenly snapped her fingers.

Then, to Naruto's surprise, a brilliant light shined down on him, and he felt a sense of weightlessness as he began to ascend into the heavens(literally).

As Naruto was filled with excitement, he heard Eris' voice from below.

"Of course, there is a small chance that both of your existences could be wiped out while transporting to the new world. But as the goddess of luck, I can safely say that the odds are in your favor. Good luck!"

"Eh!? What do mean our existences might be "wiped out"!? Hey, answer me!"

Eris merely stuck her tongue out playfully, and Naruto realized that she must have been getting back at him for teasing her earlier.

A cheeky grin on his face, Naruto waved to the goddess until his vision eventually faded to black.

Uzumaki Naruto's next adventure had begun!

* * *

 **A/N: I'm taking a break from my other fic, The Fox Scroll, and decided to start on this idea that I've had for a while now.**

 **I've been obsessing over KonoSuba. I've watched both seasons of the anime, as well as both ovas. I've also read 11 volumes of the light novel… What can I say, I love comedy! XD**

 **I just think Naruto totally fits in with these characters! He's a loudmouthed ninja who loves to stand out!**

 **How do you think Naruto is going to react to the infamous problem children of Axel? Their reaction to him?**

 **Until the next one, Spirit out!**


	2. The Town of Beginners

**A/N: Revised as of 03/21/2019**

* * *

 **Axel Town…**

Naruto opened his eyes and eagerly took in the view. He was standing in the middle of what looked to be a park if the children running around and playing were anything to go by.

'This place seems peaceful…'

Naruto thought as a pair of kids ran right past him. Wasn't the demon king a pretty big deal? Eris did say that people were refusing to reincarnate back into this world because of the demon king's attacks…

Blinking in realization, Naruto shut his eyes and screamed into his mind.

'Kurama, are you there!? Hey! Talk to me, buddy!'

' **Quit yelling! Of course I'm here!'**

The angry voice of Kurama bellowed in the blonde's mind, and Naruto couldn't help but grin.

'Sorry, I was just worried you might have changed your mind…'

' **Keh! It was either this or be enslaved by that accused Uchiha you still foolishly call a friend!'**

'Hehe… So you would have missed me, huh? Love you too buddy.'

' **Don't make me regret coming here, brat.'**

Kurama said with a low growl, prompting the jinchuuriki to mutter an apology.

While Naruto was chatting with Kurama, some of the kids began to gather around him due to their curiosity, and the mothers then ran over to keep their children away from the strange grinning boy with his eyes closed who was standing on the middle of the park all by himself.

' **But I'm impressed those self-proclaimed gods were able to collect all of my chakra and send the both of us here. They even managed to recreate a seal similar to that of your father's.'**

Naruto opened his eyes and lifted his shirt to look at the markings on his stomach, and found that the seal was indeed different. But before he could make a comment, he heard a few gasps.

There was a group of children with their eyes being covered by their blushing mothers. Naruto put his shirt back down and laughed awkwardly.

'…Maybe I should go somewhere else.'

' **That you should.'**

* * *

After apologizing to the mothers in the park, Naruto ventured into the town.

'So, what should we do first? We're in a whole new world, no one knows us, and we don't have any money.'

So far, he had learned that he spoke the same language as the people here and that the town they were in was Axel, the town of beginners.

He had also tried to buy a snack from a nearby food stand but found that the currency was different in this world. Go figure. Looks like Gama-Chan and his remaining Ryo were nothing but a memento…

' **Town of beginners… Keh! They should have sent us straight to the demon king's castle!'**

'We don't know anything about this world, so of course we'd be sent to a beginner town. It may seem weird coming from me, but information first, demon king later.'

Kurama merely responded with a grunt.

'I think I'm gonna look for that bar that we've heard about. Jiraiya-Sensei always said that bars were the best places to go for information.'

' **We both know the real reason that perverted mentor of yours wanted to go to those bars. You would think a library would be the first place one would go for information, but I doubt your dumb-ass would be caught dead in one of those places. Not that I blame you.'**

'T-that's harsh, Kurama…'

' **Love you too,** _ **"buddy".**_ **'**

A tick-mark formed on Naruto's forehead, but he was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard something crash next to him. He looked down to see a guy with brown hair that looked about his age collapsed on the ground under a few planks of wood. He seemed to have overexerted himself.

Naruto pulled the planks off the boy who was gasping for air.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Y-yeah, thanks. I need to get these planks to the construction site soon or else the boss is gonna yell at me again… Where'd that useless woman run off to?"

"Hey, I've heard about a good bar around here. Could you point me in the right direction?"

Naruto asked as the boy hastily gathered up the pieces of wood. The boy then stopped what he was doing before looking up, raising an eyebrow when he saw the shinobi's apparel.

"Those are some weird clothes… Are you a traveler?"

Naruto scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"Something like that…"

The boy hummed as if in thought before he grabbed something out of his pocket.

"Here. I'm guessing you don't have any money, and I have a feeling you'll need this later."

Naruto took the offered pouch and examined it. There were coins inside.

"Thanks, but are you sure? We only just met…"

The teen put the planks over his shoulder and snickered.

"Call it my good deed for the day. Treat me to a drink or something later if it's that big of a deal to you."

With that said, the boy pointed down the street.

"Follow this road and take a right, there's a big building called the adventurer's guild. They'll have what you're looking for."

Looking in the same direction, Naruto nodded and grinned widely.

"Thanks a lot! I'll be sure to return the favor someday! By the way, the names Uzumaki Naruto."

"Satou Kazuma, and it's not a problem at all! A good senpai like me has to set a good example for his kohai-"

"Kazuma! Where's Kazuma!? We need those planks ASAP! What is that skinny brat doing!?"

Kazuma's face paled when he heard the deep raging voice that Naruto could only assume was his boss.

"I-I-I gotta go! See ya!"

Naruto waved awkwardly as he watched his fellow teen run off with new vigor.

'Poor guy… He must have it rough.'

* * *

After following the directions he had been given by Kazuma, Naruto found a building that was quite a bit larger than the surrounding houses. Without a doubt, this had to be the adventurer's guild.

Taking a short breath, Naruto walked through the front door. Immediately upon entering, he was greeted by a passing waitress.

"Welcome! If you're here to eat, just take any of the open seats!"

"Actually, I was wondering if I could get some information."

"Certainly! Just walk over to the reception desks. The staff working there will be more than happy to answer your questions!"

After thanking the waitress, Naruto walked towards the reception desks while taking in the guild's interior.

Maybe it was because of his bright orange clothes, but he seemed to be drawing quite a lot of attention.

Walking up towards the reception desks, Naruto noticed there were two stalls. One of which had a very long line while the other was completely empty.

Naruto raised an eyebrow before making the obvious choice of walking to the open stall.

"Welcome to Axel Town's adventurer's guild! How may I help you?"

A receptionist with short brown hair and green eyes said with a glowing expression, almost as if she hadn't expected him to talk to her.

"Are these two stalls different in any way? Do you cover different topics than the other one or something?"

"Ah… No, the adventures just like to speak with Luna-San."

The receptionist said with a wry smile and pointed towards the other stall to prove her point.

Following the girl's finger, Naruto got a glance at the other receptionist, and he immediately understood why the adventurers wanted to talk to her. Blonde hair, golden eyes, and large breasts that looked as though they would pop out of her shirt at any given moment. The woman was gorgeous.

"Looks like she has her hands full…"

Naruto commented with a sweatdrop.

"Luna-San is like an older sister to us all, especially to the adventurers. So what brings you to the adventurer's guild, sir?"

"Please don't call me 'sir,' it makes me sound old… The name's Naruto, and I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for me."

The receptionist giggled into her hand and nodded.

"I'll try my best to answer, Naruto-San."

After Naruto asked some of his basic questions, the receptionist's eyes widened.

"You want to defeat the demon king? Well, the best place to start would be joining this guild and becoming an adventurer. After all, Axel Town is well known for being the town of beginners!"

Naruto nodded his head eagerly and asked the obvious question.

"So, how do I sign up?"

"You just have to pay the registration fee of 1000 Eris, and we can take care of the rest!"

Naruto gulped when he heard this, but quickly remembered the money Kazuma lent him. Fishing the small pouch of coins out of his pocket, Naruto placed the change into the receptionist's hand.

"Is this enough?"

"Yes, that's the exact amount!"

1000 Eris exactly…

Did Kazuma already know he'd be joining the adventurer's guild? Naruto decided he'd buy the guy two drinks the next time he saw him.

"Now then, let me explain. Every adventurer has their own occupation or 'class.' You'll register what class you want to be onto your registration card."

The receptionist explained and placed a small index card on the counter.

"This will keep track of the monsters you've killed, as well as your level, skills, and experience points!"

Naruto tilted his head in confusion.

"Eh? How does it do that?"

"With magic."

"…Magic?"

The receptionist blinked.

"Naruto-San… Do you perhaps not know anything about magic?"

"Nope. Not at all."

Naruto said without hesitation and waved his hand dismissively, and the receptionist gained a troubled expression.

"I can take it from here."

The woman named Luna said as she walked over to them, and the receptionist Naruto had been previously talking to thanked the girl before excusing herself.

As Luna gathered some things from under the reception desk, Naruto glanced at the other counter and was surprised to find the long line of adventurers were long gone.

'She helped all those people that fast!?'

"Now then, Naruto-San was it? Let me explain to you what magic is."

"Y-yes! I'll be in your care!"

…

Naruto's head spun as the kind, and patient receptionist thoroughly explained how magic worked in this world.

Magic, which was this world's equivalent to chakra, was used by adventurers in forms of spells and magical items. Everyone generated their own mana over time and spells consumed it while most magic items didn't. That was the gist of what Naruto picked up from the explanation.

"Next, we'll decide what your class will be. But first… Place your hand here."

Luna placed a contraption with a glass ball onto the desk, and Naruto assumed it was one of the magical items she had been talking about. Placing his hand onto the orb, it began to glow as energy visibly spun around the gear-like parts. A stream of magic beamed down to the registration card that had been placed below the magic item, and Naruto was surprised when letters began to appear.

"Woah…"

Naruto whispered in awe as he witnessed 'magic' for the first time.

The receptionist grabbed the card when the magic item stopped writing and began to look over the information.

"Let's see what your stats are…! This is…!"

Naruto was about to ask what was written on the card when the Luna stared at him with a look wonder.

"Your stats are amazing! Above average across the board, and ridiculously high luck! Though your intelligence is about average…"

The girl exclaimed while mumbling the last bit with a slight hint of disappointment.

Naruto didn't really understand, but it sounded like he was being praised, so he rubbed the back of his head and grinned sheepishly.

Wait, did she say his intelligence was _about_ average? What was that supposed to mean?

"No way, did we just get another golden rookie?"

"Not just Aqua-Chan, but two golden rookies!?"

"We sure are lucky this week! Bless Eris!"

Naruto looked around when a crowd began to gather around him. Nervous from the sudden attention, he quickly looked back at the excited receptionist who was still looking at his adventurer's card in awe.

"What does this mean?"

"With stats like this, you can choose any of the advanced classes right away! Although I don't recommend choosing Arch Wizard which depends on the intelligence stat…"

The receptionist explained, while yet again mumbling the last bit.

Oi.

Naruto was about to choose arch wizard out of spite when the surrounding adventurers started shouting out suggestions.

"Be a Sword Master!"

"No way, this guy's aura is screaming Crusader!"

"I don't know, the world could always use another Arch Priest!"

Trying his best to ignore the noisy audience, Naruto leaned towards the pretty receptionist so she could hear him better.

"Are there any limitations to each class? I'd pick the thief class since it's the closest thing to a ninja, but I just wanna make sure…"

"I don't know what a ninja is, but there are indeed limitations to each class. For example, a thief wouldn't be able to learn skills like intermediate magic spells that a mage could learn."

'Well, that's a bummer. I wanted to try learning magic, but if I choose the thief class, then I won't be able to do so until I… change clas-Ahhhh! I can't think with all these people shouting!'

Naruto was about to tell the adventurers to shut it when he heard Luna speak again.

"There is also the adventurer's class that can learn skills from all the other classes… But with stats like yours-"

"I'll take it! Make me an adventurer please!"

…

The crowd immediately fell silent.

'Hah! Serves them right!'

Naruto thought with a mischievous grin as the adventurers started walking away. He heard them mumbling amongst themselves, some of them saying things like: "Talk about a letdown" and "What a waste."

But that didn't bother him in the slightest. Besides, the adventurer class may be the weakest of the bunch, but now he could learn skills from all of the various classes! So what if it took a little longer to earn enough skill points? He always had his jutsu to rely on!

"I-I see… You could always change your class later."

The receptionist said with an awkward smile but proceeded to make the changes to Naruto's adventurer's card and ultimately hand it to him.

"Now all you have to do now is walk over to that board over there and pick out a quest, but I recommend forming a party first. Solo hunting can be dangerous, especially for beginners."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for helping me!"

Naruto said and took a second look at his adventurer's card.

"You're very welcome, Naruto-San. I wish you luck in your adventures!"

Naruto waved to the pretty receptionist and turned towards the job board to pick his first job as an adventurer. He wasn't going to bother creating a party since he didn't plan on staying in this town for very long. Uzumaki Naruto wasn't a beginner in the slightest!

He'd stay in this town for a week at most and do some quests and earn some money, or at least until he understood the way this world worked a little better.

* * *

 **Later That Night…**

A beautiful girl with light blue hair and blue eyes was arguing with a brown-haired boy in a green tracksuit in the corner of the adventurer's guild.

"I'm telling you Kazuma! I sensed a HUGE amount of demonic energy earlier today! But I couldn't find the source… But I'm telling you, I sensed it!"

"That's why you ran off Aqua!? Because you suddenly took off running, I was late to bring the supplies, AND the boss yelled at me again! All because you thought you sensed something with your former whats-it-called powers."

"I'm not lying! Maybe it was general from the demon king's army looking for me! After all, I am a goddess. As in now. They must have sensed my holy presence!"

Aqua claimed loudly while slamming on the table.

"A demon army general? In the town farthest from the demon king's castle? Yeah right. It was probably a new 'player' with some hax-like powers."

Kazuma said and took a sip of his beverage, a self-satisfied look on his face.

"In fact, I think I bumped into the guy after you ran off. I showed him where the adventurer's guild was and even lent him some money like any good senpai would."

"Eh~? Really~? Who would have thought _Stingyzuma_ would part with his money so easily?"

Aqua retorted while trying to sneak a hand towards Kazuma's plate while he wasn't looking, only to have it skillfully smacked by the other party.

"How rude! Don't call me _'Stingyzuma'_ just because I refused to lend you money! I was going to buy you that drink you wanted to try because I was in a good mood, but now I change my mind!"

"Why!? Besides, what if that guy wasn't even from Japan? Then that would mean you just gave your money to some random stranger for no reason! You could have bought _me_ something with that money!"

Kazuma stopped drinking and calmly placed his cup on the table. He then looked at Aqua with a serious, yet competitive expression.

"Wanna bet on it?"

Aqua returned the look in full.

"Next week's rent."

The two then shook hands, both thinking that they had already won.

* * *

 **A/N: With that, the introductory is finally over! Time to get onto the fun stuff!**

 **I'm going to be writing these chapters a little shorter than I usually do, and this will** _ **hopefully**_ **allow for a weekly update! Maybe even twice a week if the ideas keep flowing! :D**

 **In case you haven't already guessed, Naruto arrives in Axel Town a couple days after Kazuma and Aqua.**

 **For those who are worried that Naruto is too powerful for this world, fear not. I'm mainly going to be focusing on humor for this fic, and while Naruto one-shotting all the demon king's generals might be funny to some people, that will not be happening in this story.**

 **On a side note, do all of you really think Sasuke is just gonna destroy the world? I don't really want to focus on the Elemental Nations at all in this story, but I did hint that something good changed in Sasuke for the better! 0_0**

 **Well, that's it! Hope to see you in the next one! Spirit out!**


	3. A Mysterious Priestess Appears

**A/N: I would like to take a second to clarify that Naruto did not meet the Sage of Six Paths in this story, so he doesn't have Six Paths Chakra. He only has Kurama's chakra and Sage Mode, which will be more than enough to take on this Wonderful World.**

 **Revised: 3/21/19**

* * *

After a couple days of solo hunting, Naruto sat at the bar with a cup full of something called 'neroid juice.' It was what the waitress had recommended since he didn't want alcohol.

Having completed a silver wolf hunting quest by himself on the first day, Naruto had earned enough money to rent out a nice apartment for the week. He then went on a couple more monster hunting quests to save up for the trip he was planning to take to the next town, his eventual goal being the demon king's castle.

The other adventurers appeared to be avoiding him for some reason. Perhaps it was because he chose the adventurer class to spite them? Or maybe they were wary of him because of the time that he had wiped the floor with a certain delinquent adventurer who had picked a fight with him when he called the head receptionist 'Luna-Chan'?

Naruto shrugged as he took a sip of the surprisingly delicious carbonated beverage. So what if he didn't make any friends in this town? It wasn't something he wasn't used to, and he didn't plan on staying very long anyway.

Speaking of which, he had yet to see Kazuma again. Which was disappointing because Naruto wanted to pay the guy back before he left.

'I could always look for the guy, but what good would it do if Kazuma's in the middle of working? I can't just interrupt and get him in trouble just to say thanks…'

Naruto was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Looking back, he found Luna smiling at him.

"Are you done with your quest for today, Naruto-San?"

"Yeah, I am. What's up Luna-Chan?"

Luna smiled wryly, remembering the uproar Naruto had caused in the guild when he first called her that. Not that she particularly minded. Naruto seemed like a nice guy, and it saddened her whenever she saw him sitting alone. He had even completed a handful of durian* quests on his own free will.

 ***A/N: 'Durian' quests are the jobs that are avoided like the plague. It's named after a smelly fruit that tastes good. lol**

Whenever Luna brought up a durian quest around the other adventurers, they would quickly avert their gazes. So when she saw Naruto accept a durian quest, AND complete it, she immediately jumped at the chance to ask him to finish more of them.

Speaking of which…

Luna lightly clasped her fingertips together and smiled apologetically.

"Could I trouble you for another favor?"

* * *

 **Later That Evening…**

Naruto found himself standing in the middle of the town's cemetery. According to Luna, a larger than usual amount of undead were spawning. She said that it was likely the presence of a Zombie Maker, which was an evil spirit that possessed and controlled corpses.

As the temperature began to fall with the setting sun, an eerie mist began to rise alongside the moon.

A bead of sweat formed on Naruto's brow as he stood in the middle of the steadily increasing darkness. Alone.

Naruto had dealt with zombies before, what with Kabuto and his usage of the Reanimation jutsu during the war. But the idea of an evil spirit that couldn't pass on.

Would he even be able to do anything about it?

'I don't have Shukaku's chakra anymore either, so no sealing jutsu…'

' **What? Are you scared of a couple undead?'**

'O-of course not! This setting is just a little… Unsettling.'

Naruto thought just as he heard the sound of dirt crumbling behind him. Something seemed to be coming out of the ground, and a hand broke free and reached into the air. Then another hand broke out of the dirt right next to him, and Naruto stepped on it with his sandal when it tried to grab him.

Like a scene straight out of a horror movie, more and more hands and eventually entire torsos began to rise from the earth.

'There's a lot of them… But it's nothing I can't handle!'

Naruto pulled out a kunai and got to work. He zipped through the undead that tried to grab him, all while chopping their heads off with precision.

How did he know how to kill a zombie? He saw it in a movie once back in the Elemental Nations as a kid when he used to sneak into the theatres.

Just as Naruto killed the last one, he heard a soft chuckle. Looking around for the source of the laughter, Naruto whirled around and spotted a floating figure holding a lantern.

It looked like a skeleton wearing a cloak, only its lower half was gone as it hovered through the air.

'That must be the Zombie maker!'

Having found his target, Naruto ran towards the cackling creature with his kunai in hand.

The evil spirit noticed the shinobi at the last second, but it only had time to make a surprised screeching sound as the dagger went right through its head.

"…Eh?"

Naruto blinked as he stared at the surprisingly expressive Zombie Maker, with it staring right back at him with an equally surprised look. Naruto began to sweat bullets.

His kunai had merely phased right through it.

Realizing that it wasn't in any real danger, the Zombie Maker cackled some more and flew right through Naruto's body.

A cold shiver crawled down Naruto's spine. That was a feeling he never wanted to feel again…

The jinchuuriki turned around and watched as the evil spirit flew deeper into the graveyard.

'This is going to be a long night…'

* * *

"Why are we in this creepy cemetery? I'm tired from working at the construction site! I wanna go back to the guild and drink with everyone!"

Aqua complained as she was unwillingly dragged through the cemetery.

"If you have the energy to complain, then you can work! The head receptionist said that this would be a good starting quest for us as adventurers because you were an Arch Priest, and I couldn't just deny a favor from that pretty Onee-Chan either."

Kazuma said while ignoring the scornful look Aqua was sending him. The pretty receptionist had personally asked HIM to complete the quest, so it had to be one of _those_ events that he'd been craving for ever since coming to this world!

Even if Aqua would technically be doing all the work…

"Besides, this is our first real job as adventurers! You're an Arch Priest who claims to be a goddess(lol), and our opponents are undead. Theoretically speaking, this quest should be a piece of cake!"

"Wahhh~! Don't wanna! I'm fine with just being a construction worker!"

Kazuma's eyebrow twitched as he stopped to turn around and look at his companion, who had fallen to the floor and started rolling around like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum.

"You… Stop whining and get to work, you useless goddess! Didn't you want to go home the other day!? Fine. Do a good job, and I'll treat you to that neroid stuff you said you wanted to try the other day."

Aqua stopped crying and looked up at Kazuma with a hint of suspicion in her eyes, as though she thought Kazuma was only saying that to get her to work.

"I'm not lying, okay? This quest has a pretty good reward, so you'll get your half, AND I'll treat you to that neroid stuff. How does that sound?"

"…Fine. But what will Kazuma do? Surely there isn't anything a beginner like you can do against the undead."

"Oh, me? I'm staying here. I don't want to accidentally mess up your exorcisms."

"You're right, a NEET like you would only get in my way! Very well then! I'll show you the true power of a goddess!"

With that said, Aqua ran off into the cemetery.

'Where did all those complaints from earlier go…?'

Kazuma thought before he noticed something on the ground, and yelped when he saw it was the decapitated head of an undead. Looking around, he noticed there were more heads and bodies scattered around the cemetery.

"…Could it be that someone's already here? …Nah! After all, the pretty receptionist Onee-Chan entrusted this quest to me! Ahahaha-AHHHHHH!"

Kazuma boasted before screaming like a little girl when a headless undead tugged on his pants.

* * *

'There's no end to these guys, and I can't hit that stupid spirit with any of my attacks!'

Naruto thought as he cut down another undead for the umpteenth time, all the while avoiding the evil spirit who was trying to phase through his body again. Who knows how many he killed, he had stopped counting after fifty! Just how many corpses did this town have!?

'If nothing else works, I'll just use Kurama's chakra and-'

' **Try using my power against such a weak foe, and I will mince you.'**

Kurama stated darkly which caused Naruto to flinch, but the blonde quickly recovered and growled.

'Why!? I can probably hit this thing if I use your chakra!'

Naruto thought as he moved out of the way when the spirit attacked him again.

' **Sucks to suck.'**

'You stupid fox!'

Naruto looked for a place to hide so he could come up with a better strategy. Finding a spot, he threw down a smoke bomb and body-flickered away.

The Zombie Maker waited for the mist to disappear. Seeing the blonde's absence, the ghost chuckled and left to create more undead. But upon turning around, it froze with a look of complete horror.

'Okay… Weapons and ninjutsu don't work, and Kurama's being stingy with his chakra. What other options do I have?'

Naruto thought from his spot behind a large tombstone. He then peaked out to see where the Zombie Maker had gone only to see that it hadn't moved. Wondering why it went stagnant, he quickly noticed that a person was standing in front of it.

It was a girl, perhaps the most beautiful girl Naruto had ever seen. She had blue waist-long hair that was tied up in a loop at the top, and she wore blue thigh-high boots and an extremely short dress. This woman's looks were clearly at the level of a goddess.

She almost reminded him of Eris…

But what captivated Naruto the most was the girl's eyes, which were a deeper blue than even his. They were calm, yet determined at the same time.

Naruto was pulled out of his awestricken thoughts when the woman spoke.

"Forsaking the laws of the gods… And raising the dead for your selfish desires…"

Naruto shielded his eyes when a bright magic circle formed above the girl's head, and he felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the already beautiful woman showered in a heavenly aura.

' **This energy… No doubt, that woman is…'**

Kurama said with an annoyed tone of voice before he closed his eyes to get back to napping.

'A goddess…'

Naruto thought with a gaping mouth as he watched the girl, who was surrounded in a holy aura, complete her exorcism.

"As the Goddess of Water, Aqua, I lay you to rest! **Sacred Turn Undead!** "

The Zombie Maker screeched in pain at first. But as the light consumed its form, it gained a peaceful expression before evaporating completely as its soul passed on to the next world.

As the light faded, Naruto couldn't help but stare at the goddess before him in awe.

The blue haired girl let out a sigh before turning around and walking off into the night.

After hearing nothing but silence for a while, Kurama opened an eye and noticed that his retainer was staring into space.

'… **You okay, kid?'**

Naruto blinked, quickly snapping out of a trance.

'Wha-Oh, yeah. I'm fine…'

Naruto then stood up and came face to face with a transparent woman.

"Eh?"

"Ah…"

The two stared at each other for a couple seconds before they both screamed.

"Waahh! It's another ghost!"

"Kyaaah! It's a delinquent shamelessly playing around in a graveyard!"

…

"Hey, I'm not a delinquent!"

"And I'm not a ghost!"

Naruto deadpanned as he stared at the brown-haired woman in front of him. Her skin was clearly transparent, and he could almost see right through her! Without a doubt, this person was a ghost.

"If you're not a ghost, then why can I almost see through you?"

The woman looked like she was about to answer when she suddenly collapsed to her knees.

Acting instinctively, Naruto leaned forward to catch the woman and found that he could touch her…

Weird.

"H-hey, are you alright? And why can I touch a ghost?"

"I… I am not a ghost! Ugh…! That woman that was here just a second ago… She released an extreme amount of holy energy. I thought my existence was going to fade away…"

Naruto frowned as he helped the lady back to her feet. Ghost or not, he couldn't stand seeing a girl in pain.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Y-yes… I need… I need…"

The girl started mumbling and caressed Naruto's cheeks, causing the blonde to blush.

"Eh? N-wh-wait!"

Naruto stammered when she started to pull his face closer to hers. What was she planning to do!? They only just met! Was she planning to kiss him right here and now!?

Then, just as their lips were about to touch...

"I need energy…"

"Gahhhhhh!"

Naruto felt a stinging sensation in his cheeks where the woman was touching him, and he felt his energy being drained.

* * *

"…"

"I-I-I'm so sorry! I thought I was about to disappear, and you so kindly offered to help… But that doesn't excuse me using Drain Touch on you so suddenly!"

The woman, whose name Naruto now knew to be Wiz, frantically said as she bowed for the umpteenth time.

Naruto looked down at the girl with a grumpy look on his face. That wasn't why he was angry. No, he was irritated because his feelings had been toyed with. Unintentional or not, you don't just go around making a guy think that you're about to kiss them like that.

"I really thought you were going to…"

"Huh?"

"I-it's fine! I don't mind if it was just a little of my energy being drained."

Naruto finally said to stop the poor girl from prostrating herself in front of him and looked around the shop he had been brought to. Apparently, it was a magic item store that Wiz owned in the corner of the town, and there were various magic items on the shelves.

"That much energy was nothing for Naruto-San?"

Wiz said and looked up with teary eyes. Though it was true that she felt a vast amount of magical energy emitting from him, even if he was concealing most of it.

"Yeah, it's fine really. So please get up… Anyways, I'm surprised a lich is able to open up a shop in a town full of adventurers."

Naruto said as he browsed through the merchandise.

"No one else besides Naruto-San knows my true identity… If people knew I was a lich, it would surely cause a riot… But I don't do anything that harms people, so please don't tell anyone!"

Wiz said after standing up, only to immediately bow again.

Naruto sweatdropped as he thought of a way to handle the situation. This woman was honest to a fault, which was something that he wasn't used to dealing with.

"F-for now, please stop with all the formal stuff! I promise not to tell anyone, okay?"

Wiz looked up and smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Naruto-San."

"S-sure…"

Naruto said and scratched his check awkwardly. Growing a sudden interest in all the magical items, he grabbed an object off the shelf and showed it to Wiz.

"Hey Wiz, what does this item do?"

"Oh, that? It's a potion that explodes upon being thrown or caught on fire."

"!"

Naruto carefully placed the potion back on the shelf. What a dangerous item to just casually have on the shelves… One wrong move and the entire neighborhood was gone.

"What about this one?"

Naruto asked after grabbing a trinket from one of the baskets near the front of the store.

Wiz clasped her hands together excitedly.

"I just had those shipped in! That one allows the user to use a lightning spell! But it consumes a lot of magic and breaks after a couple uses.

"Oh, that could be pretty useful. How much is it?"

Naruto asked, and Wiz beamed.

"Doesn't it? It's 100,000 Eris!"

'S-so much!'

Naruto thought and placed the item back into the basket where he found it. It was probably a lost cause, but he decided to ask anyway.

"Anything you recommend for a solo hunter?"

"Oh! Naruto-San is a solo hunter? Then, I would recommend this!"

Wiz walked across the room and came back with a small wooden box in her hands.

"This is a monster repellant music box. You wind it up it before you go to sleep and it will keep the monsters away all night! The effects only last for twelve hours, and it costs 200,000 Eris."

…

"Guess I'll go home. See ya, Wiz."

"W-wait! Why are you leaving after looking at my merchandise like that!?"

Wiz said with teary eyes and grabbed onto Naruto's sleeve to keep him from leaving.

After promising the airheaded store owner he'd come back another day, Naruto retired for the night.

* * *

 **The Next Day…**

'Who was that girl? She took out that ghost that I couldn't even hit in an instant. Maybe I'll ask her to teach me that skill if I ever see her again…'

Naruto found himself thinking about the blue haired girl he saw the previous night as he drank his new favorite beverage, neroid juice.

What was a girl like that doing in a cemetery in the middle of the night? She was obviously an Arch Priest, and Naruto faintly remembered her saying something about a goddess named Aqua.

But there was no way a goddess was here in this world, right? From his talk with Eris, he assumed the gods didn't want to directly interfere with human affairs.

After all, what would be the point of sending people with powerful gifts to defeat the demon king if the gods could just do it themselves?

Maybe that girl was a person from another world, and sent here with a gift from the gods like he was?

As Naruto was trying to figure out the identity of the beautiful priestess, he heard a low rumbling sound in the backside of his mind.

'What's so funny, Kurama?'

' **Nothing. I just find it amusing that you've become so infatuated by that woman who saved your sorry ass from a ghost last night.'**

'H-hey! I'm not infatuated with her! I-I was just wondering who she was is all… And besides, you didn't do anything to help with that ghost either! If you only just let me use your chakra, I could have-'

' **Sure sure, whatever you say…"**

Naruto grumbled to himself as he chugged the remainder of his neroid juice in one go.

'This stuff really is good though… I wonder how they make it?'

"Naruto-San?"

"Eh?"

Naruto looked up and saw the familiar sight of Luna smiling at him, though her smile seemed a bit strange.

"Ah, sorry Luna-Chan. Did you need something?"

"That's okay. How did your quest go? I didn't hear back from you last night, and I got a little worried…"

Naruto nearly smacked his forehead. He forgot to check back in with Luna to tell her what had happened. Because of that whole thing with Wiz, it completely slipped his mind.

"Sorry, but I failed the quest…"

"Eh?"

Luna seemed to be surprised by his answer, and Naruto nodded his head solemnly.

"Yeah, I couldn't hit that stupid ghost for some reason. Then this Arch Priest showed up and defeated it, but I don't think she even noticed me at all and left… So you can go ahead and give the reward to her."

Naruto explained while scratching his whisker marks awkwardly.

'Even though I went to the trouble of sending the both of you on the same quest… But I guess that's why Kazuma-San was demanding the entire reward.'

Luna thought before she sighed. Naruto and Kazuma had completely opposite personalities.

"That's okay, that priest is a member of the guild. I'll give her the rest of the reward later."

Luna had given Kazuma the quest so he could meet up with Naruto. She had deliberately sent the two on the same quest because Naruto had been asking her about Kazuma and how he wanted to pay him back.

She was worried about Naruto who was always solo hunting, and Kazuma seemed like the closest thing Naruto had to a friend in town and figured that the two might form a party if they met up again.

How they didn't see each other during the quest was a headache that Luna wasn't willing to figure out.

Naruto's eyes widened slightly as Luna walked back to the reception desks. So that Arch Priest was a member of the guild… Then that would mean that the likelihood of bumping into her was high.

' **Heh…'**

Ignoring the noisy fox, Naruto gestured towards one of the passing waitresses.

"Another neroid juice over here, please!"

* * *

 **A/N: Using RPG logic, I made it so the Zombie Maker is an evil spirit that could only be harmed by holy things. Which is something Naruto does not have at the moment and therefore couldn't hit it. If only Kurama let him use his chakra. :p**

 **Now, just as Aqua is scarred from her experiences with the toads, Naruto is afraid of ghosts because they are a monster he can't punch. Lol**

 **Will Naruto ever meet up with Kazuma again and form a party? What will happen when Naruto sees Aqua's true colors? Will Wiz ever sell a magic item that is useful to beginner adventurers?**

 **Speaking of Wiz. If you have any ideas for magic items that you think Wiz would sell, let me know!**

 **That's it, see you in the next one. Spirit out!**

 **P.S. Thank you SouthJer94 from deviantart for letting me use this picture for the cover art! ^^**


	4. Leaving The Town of Beginners?

**A/N: Revised: 3/21/19**

* * *

"Hey, did you hear? Apparently, that guy named Naruto is leaving town."

"Seriously? Must be searching for a challenge. That guy doesn't really seem like a beginner adventurer."

"Right? It's no wonder he doesn't talk to anyone other than Luna-San and the waitresses."

Naruto frowned as he heard such things from his spot in the corner of the adventurer's guild. People were always the same, judging someone before they even got to know them.

But that didn't matter since he would be leaving the next morning anyway.

Naruto drank the last of his favorite neroid juice and stood up. He really needed to learn how to make that stuff.

'Well, I better go tell Wiz I'm leaving tomorrow.'

The clumsy shop keeper was the only person Naruto could really consider a friend in this town, and he had been visiting the shop every day since meeting her. Luna had been kind to him, but even Naruto could tell she had mostly been using him to get rid of all the quests the other adventurers didn't want to do. But he knew she didn't mean any harm and wouldn't hold a grudge by any means.

He had yet to see Kazuma or the Arch Priest that had saved him the other night, but Naruto decided that it was probably for the best. If he kept making friends in this town, then it would only make it harder for him to leave.

Naruto was brought to this world to defeat the demon king, and he wouldn't be able to do so from the town that was farthest away from the goal.

Taking one last look at the guild hall he had grown accustomed to this past week, Naruto was hit by a wave of emotions. Despite him being alone the entire time, this place sure felt homey.

After looking around the guild with a lonely expression, Naruto left some Eris on the table and walked towards the exit.

"I'm off."

* * *

"Welcom-Oh, Naruto-San!"

Wiz said and cheerfully waved to the familiar blonde who had just entered her store. It was still early in the morning, and she was just opening the shop for the day.

"Hey, Wiz. Whatcha got there?"

Naruto asked as he took a seat at the table in the middle of the room.

"Ah, this… I-it's nothing! I was just about to send a letter to a friend!"

Growing suspicious, Naruto stood and walked towards the girl who had instantly responded with such a blatant lie.

"Heh~? Who might this 'friend' be? I thought Wiz said she didn't have any friends outside of town?"

"Naruto-San, that's too mean! It's true that I said that, but hearing it from someone else is… Huh-Wai-No! Don't read the letter!"

—After reading the contents of the letter, Naruto looked down at Wiz who was in seiza and fidgeting nervously.

"Wiz… Is the shop not doing well?"

"…I've been dealing with red digits this month. That last shipment didn't do as well as I thought it would for some reason…"

Wiz said with teary eyes, and Naruto sweatdropped.

No. That should be expected when selling such weird and expensive items in a town full of beginners.

Naruto didn't have much experience in business, but even he could tell the adventurers of this town wouldn't be able to use most of these magic items, much less afford them.

"That letter is for the bank to ask for more time… I took out a loan for I thought I would make a big enough profit with this merchandise that it would clear the loan, as well as this month's red digits… But there's no need to worry! I made an order for an item that I know will sell!"

Wiz continued with a determined looked in her eyes.

"Wh-what would that be?"

"A set of potions that boosts one's stats for a short amount of time! But as a side effect, the drinker will become paralyzed from the neck down for a couple minutes."

'S-stop… It's too pitiful…'

"I'm sure the adventurers will make good use of these potions! Now then, I'll go make some tea!"

'…This girl is too honest.'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop as Wiz left to go brew some tea. If this went on, that girl would surely lose the shop. Being one of the few people that had been kind to him in this city full of strangers, Naruto couldn't let that happen.

This brought Naruto to one conclusion, and he stood up just as Wiz walked back into the room with their tea.

"I guess I have no choice… Until you get back on your feet, I'll help out with the shop!"

Wiz placed the tea on the table and looked at Naruto in surprise.

"Eh? N-no, I can't ask Naruto-San to do something like that! You don't have to worry about me, I have a plan! Besides, I-I wouldn't be able to pay you…"

"If you're worried about paying me, it's no big deal. I've got enough Eris from solo hunting these past couple days to last me a month or two. Besides…"

Naruto said and scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"I can't just leave a friend of mine while they're in trouble…"

"Naruto-San…"

Wiz said with teary eyes before she grabbed his leg and sobbed.

"Wahahh! Naruto-San is too kind!"

"W-woah! That's dangerous Wiz! I almost bumped into the shelf with the explosive potions!"

Naruto said as he pried the brunette from his leg.

Leave it to one of the only ties that he had in this town to keep him from leaving. Naruto had initially come to the store to tell Wiz that he was going, but ended up offering to help out in her store. Figures.

' **Pushover.'**

'Shut up.'

* * *

Having decided to stay in town for a while longer, Naruto paid his landlord for another week's stay. He then walked to the adventurer's guild to take on his daily quest. If he was going to be helping Wiz for free, then he'd better stock up on some Eris. So he told Wiz he that would quickly finish a quest and then come back to the shop to help.

' **You're too soft, Naruto. You shouldn't have meddled in that useless shopkeeper's business. Instead, you should have left this worthless town. We have a goal, remember? To show this world what a true demon is!'**

'Whose goal is that? Anyway, don't call Wiz useless. I don't know what came over me earlier, but I couldn't just leave her like that.'

Naruto thought as he entered the adventurer's guild. He didn't quite understand it, but whenever he saw Wiz, there was just something about her honest personality that made him want to help her. Maybe it was because she was so determined to help the adventurers in town with magic items?

"Well, it's too late to back out now. I promised to help Wiz get out of the red zone, and Uzumaki Naruto keeps his promises!"

…

"No."

"Eh?"

Luna blinked.

Did Naruto just… Refuse to do a quest? In the short time that she'd known the man, she had come to learn that Naruto flat out refused to back down from a challenge. No matter how hard, tedious, or cumbersome the quest sounded.

So to say Luna was surprised to hear that word coming out of Naruto's mouth was an understatement.

Seeing the clear look of confusion on Luna's face, Naruto crossed his arms and sighed.

"There's a reason for this, but I can't accept this kill quest."

"I-is that so…?"

Luna said with an awkward smile before shuffling through her notes.

"Then how about this one? It's a fetch quest that requires the gathering of five Venus Hearts. A Venus Heart is the fruit a Venus-flytrap produces after a long period."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. A Venus-flytrap? Did she mean those tiny houseplants one kept near a window and closed their mouths when you touch them? Iruka had one of those things in his apartment, and would always yell at him when he touched their mouths for some reason.

"Sounds easy enough. Now, where can I find them?"

"U-um… You can find Venus-flytraps in the forest south-west of the town. But they are a very rare encounter, and finding one with fruit is even more uncommon."

Naruto hummed in thought.

"I see… So that's why the other adventurers don't want to take this quest. It sounds like it could take a while."

He planned to help Wiz with the shop later that day, and it was still early in the morning. If he hurried by using Shadow Clones, he should be able to finish the quest by noon.

"W-well, you have a couple days to complete the quest. So take your time and be careful."

Luna said nervously and looked as though she wanted to say more about the quest, but she wasn't given a chance when Naruto suddenly turned towards the exit and waved.

"I'll be back later, see ya Luna-Chan!"

Luna sweatdropped when the other adventurers sent heated glares at the shinobi as he left the guild. Was he doing that on purpose?

But she was relieved when Naruto said he decided to stay, even if it was only for a little longer. Despite him not getting along with the other adventurers very well, his tenacity to complete quests every day was having quite a positive impact on them.

Hence the reason why the only kill quest left this season was hunting toads since it was their mating season.

* * *

Standing in the middle of the forest just outside of town, Naruto crossed his fingers.

" **Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"**

In a series of 'poofs!', a couple dozen clones popped into existence.

Facing his small army, Naruto pointed towards the deeper parts of the forest.

"Alright everyone, you know what to do!"

"Oh~!"

The clones mock saluted before dispersing into the forest.

Grinning in satisfaction, Naruto began to walk through the forest by himself. With the use of his Shadow Clones, this search quest was going to be a piece of cake!

—After a couple minutes of searching, Naruto slowed to a stop when he suddenly felt a couple of his clones dispersing.

'Weird… Most of the monsters in this area should have been cleared out by adventurers. Did they already find the fruits?'

Just as the memories of the clones came back to him, a dark figure loomed over Naruto's form. He could hear the bushes rustling softly behind him. Daring to turn around, Naruto came face to face with the largest Venus-flytrap he had ever seen.

The giant of a plant opened its jaws, and Naruto got a glimpse of a glowing object in the back of its mouth before he was forced to jump away.

Landing in a tree, Naruto stamped his foot on the branch angrily.

"What the hell is this!? How is _that_ a Venus-flytrap!? That's a goddamn man-eating plant!"

Figuring that complaining wouldn't do him any good, Naruto pulled out a kunai and channeled some wind chakra into it. Man-eating plant or not, he's dealt with much worse.

The Venus-flytrap opened its jaws and made a hissing noise that sounded like it was roaring.

"Bring it on you stupid plant!"

Naruto roared back and pounced on the carnivorous plant.

* * *

By the time Naruto managed to collect the five Venus Hearts, it was half-passed noon.

'Luna-Chan has some explaining to do…'

Naruto thought with a twitching eyebrow as he looked at the tears in his jacket. As much as he disliked the idea of wearing something else, he needed some new clothes.

During the search, Naruto had somehow ended up closer to the western entrance to the town. This was the entrance Naruto tried to avoid the most due to the frequent giant toad sightings. Due to his pact with the toads of Mount Myōboku in his past life, Naruto refused to kill the giant toads.

Ma, Pa, Gamakichi, and the chief toad Gamabunta. He missed the toads he had spent so much time with.

In fact, he almost cried when he saw fried toad meat on the menu back at the adventurer's guild.

As Naruto trekked the open plain towards the town in the distance, he suddenly felt a familiar energy signature. Scanning area for its source, Naruto spotted a giant toad.

Standing in front of the toad was…

"Oh! It's that Arch Priest!"

Naruto said as a wave of excitement washed over him. But that feeling died in an instant when the blue-haired priest was suddenly inside the giant toad's mouth.

* * *

"Aqua!"

Kazuma screamed as he ran towards the giant toad that had just eaten his partner. Stupid useless goddess(lol) getting devoured right after boasting like that!

But now that the toad wasn't moving, he'd be able to strike it and…

It all happened in an instant.

Kazuma had blinked when he reached the toad and was about to strike with his short sword, and when he had opened his eyes again, there was a man shrouded in golden energy with strange black markings standing between him and the toad.

The golden man's arm flickered, and Aqua, along with the contents of the giant toad's stomach, erupted into the air.

By the time Kazuma stopped and widened his eyes, Aqua had fallen into the man's arms bridal-style, and the toad was half-way across the field.

"…Who-BLEGH!"

Kazuma was about to ask who the person was when he was covered by the toad mucus that had erupted from the monster along with Aqua.

—Feeling a warmth that was different from the toad's stomach, Aqua fluttered her eyes open.

"Hey, you okay?"

"!"

Aqua's eyes shot open when she heard the stranger's voice and noticed that said person was holding her.

The only reason she wasn't freaking out was because the person had such a calm expression. His golden features were bright like the sun, and his red-orange eyes had a warmth to them that made her feel safe. At that moment, Aqua felt as though she was being carried by a fellow god.

"Y-yes… Thank you…"

Aqua said and bashfully averted her gaze, her heart fluttering.

Kazuma, who had been watching the whole time on the ground while covered in toad mucus, tilted his head to the side. Aqua, the girl that was as obnoxious as a rooster in the morning, stubborn as a mule, and dumb as they came… Looked like that? Who was that cute girl? Where could he find one!?

"U-um… Can you put me down?"

"O-oh! Yes, of course!"

When Aqua was on her feet, she didn't dare look up.

Kazuma, deciding he'd seen enough of this strange Aqua, stood up and made his presence known by roughly wiping the toad mucus from his clothes.

"Thank you for helping us, but who are you?"

Kazuma said, and as if noticing him for the first time, the golden person blinked in surprise.

"Kazuma!?"

"Yes, I'm Kazuma."

Kazuma said out of reflex when the person shouted his name and pointed at him. Did he know this strange glowing man? What was with that glowing-ness anyway?

"It's me! …Ah! You probably don't recognize me in this form."

The man said and the golden energy that surrounded his form faded out of existence.

Kazuma instantly recognized the person.

"Oh! Naruto!"

Naruto grinned when he was finally remembered.

It was then-

"AHHH! This energy I'm sensing… A devil!"

"Wah!"

Aqua suddenly started shouting nonsense and pounced on Naruto.

"Aqua! What are you doing to the person that just saved you!?"

His words falling unto deaf ears, Kazuma sighed.

"Kazuma! This person is a devil!"

"Eh? No, wait-"

"I couldn't sense it a second ago for various reasons… But this man reeks of demonic energy!"

"L-let me explain-"

"The devil king must have known I was here and sent this man to seduce me! It almost worked, but luckily the great me saw right through your trap! How dare you play with the feelings of a sensitive maiden!"

"…What?"

Aqua, who was now straddling the very confused Naruto, made such outrageous claims.

…Almost? Sensitive? These were the questionable words that were floating in Kazuma's mind as he watched the scene in front of him unfold. What happened to that cute girl from just a second ago?

"I-I'm not a devil…"

Naruto said meekly as he averted his gaze from the girl who was straddling him while wearing a _very_ short skirt. His arms were being forced to his sides by Aqua's thighs, so the only thing he could do now to was look away.

"See! He looked away! That means he's lying!"

Aqua roared and began to shake Naruto by the collar.

"No, he's looking away for another obvious reason…"

Kazuma said with a sweatdrop. He needed to put an end to this. Otherwise that idiot of a goddess(lol) would continue to misunderstand this situation and take things too far.

"What we saw was probably his hax power. You know, the _thing_ you said I could have brought to this world? To think, I made the mistake to choose you as my _thing_ …"

'Hax power?'

Naruto thought with a raised eyebrow. Did he know about Kurama? First the initial fee for the guild, and now this. Just how much did Kazuma know about him?

"Listen Kazuma, continue to disrespect a goddess by calling the great me a _thing,_ and you will receive divine retribution."

"Hold on a second, Aqua? I really am human… I'm not lying! I'm telling the truth, I promise!"

Naruto frantically said when the girl turned her angry gaze towards him again. He knew full well what happened if you made a girl angry, and did not want to make this girl in front(top) of him any more upset than she already was.

"Oh yeah? Well then, shall we put that to the test? If you truly are human like you say, then you won't be affected by my Sacred Purification!"

Kazuma, who was about to smack Aqua upside the head, held his hand in thought. Usually he'd stop such a stupid test, but when Naruto isn't affected by the spell Aqua will give up on this nonsense on her own free will. No headache needed.

"Huh?"

Naruto said, not understanding what the girl was about to do.

Aqua, who was still sitting on top of Naruto, raised her hand and said a short prayer. The same magic circle Naruto saw that one night at the graveyard appeared and an enormous amount of energy began to flow into it.

" **Sacred Purification!"**

Kazuma shielded his eyes when the holy magic consumed them all.

When the light dimmed down, Aqua confidently looked down and expected to see a pile of ashes. But what she didn't expect to see was Naruto, very much still alive, and staring up at her with a mixed look of confusion and embarrassment.

As if she just realized the position she was in, Aqua scrambled off the blonde and pointed at him with a shaky finger.

"I-I-I don't know how you managed to avoid being purified, but mark my words-Ack!"

Aqua held her head in pain when Kazuma suddenly smacked her.

"Alright, that's enough you stupid girl. Can't you see Naruto wasn't affected by your spell in the slightest? He's not a devil, so get that through your thick skull already."

Naruto stood up and laughed awkwardly as he dusted himself off. Now that that was over with, maybe he'd finally be able to talk with these two normally.

'… **Naruto. Give me control of your body so that I may teach that self-proclaimed goddess THE TRUE MEANING OF SUFFERING!'**

'Kurama!?'

Naruto thought to when he heard the fox's demand. Come to think of it, he did hear someone shouting when the spell was being casted… Kurama, being a demon, must have been affected by Aqua's spell.

"Aha! I can sense a great deal of malice coming from this man. Stand aside, Kazuma! This time I'll-Ouch!"

Aqua started shouted obnoxious things even after all of that, so Kazuma smacked her on the head again before turning to Naruto.

"What was that glowing power? Did you get it from a god or goddess?"

"…Yeah, something like that. I have a nine-tailed fox demon named Kurama sealed inside of me, and I can draw from his power. But how did you know?"

Kazuma nodded, a knowing smirk on his face. Aqua probably forgot about their little bet, but he would make sure to remind her that he won.

"This may come to a surprise to you, but I am also from Japan! I too died a heroic-"

"-comical-"

"-death!"

….

While Kazuma was giving Aqua a verbal lashing which ended up with them in a minor scuffle, Naruto tilted his head in confusion.

"What's Japan?"

Kazuma and Aqua, amid their little battle, stopped and looked at each.

"…Neh, Kazuma? Does this mean I win the bet?"

"Hell no!"

* * *

 **A/N: That's a wrap! Naruto is beginning to see the bizarre differences between this world and his old one, as well as Aqua's true colors! XD**

 **Naruto gets an unpaid part-time job at Wiz's magic shop. But will he only add to the fire?**

 **Oh, and just to clarify… I know Kurama technically isn't a demon, but Naruto doesn't see it that way yet. Aqua's purification spell hurt Kurama because she was changing the properties of the fox's chakra… Don't you think that would be painful?**

 **Until next time!**


	5. What's Ramen?

**Revised 3/21/19**

* * *

After a quick visit to the town's bathhouse to wash off the toad mucus, Kazuma and Aqua met up with Naruto at the adventurers' guild.

"So let me get this straight… Just like me, you were sent to this world by a goddess to defeat the demon king, but you're not from Japan? You do have blonde hair and blue eyes… Are you from America or Europe?"

Kazuma asked as he tried to wrap his head around the situation.

"Nope. Never heard of em."

Naruto said with the wave of his hand as he sent occasional glances at Aqua, who was fiddling with a straw paying zero attention to the conversation.

Kazuma hummed and calmly rubbed his chin in thought. He wasn't the type to overreact to something like this, especially when entities such as gods and goddess were involved. Naruto said he didn't know what Japan was, so he was expecting the guy to be from another country. But Kazuma didn't imagine the blonde to be from an entirely different world than his old one altogether.

But the possibility of the gods and goddess recruiting people from worlds other than Kazuma's home wasn't entirely out of the question.

"Where are you from then?"

"The Elemental Nations…"

Naruto said absentmindedly while watching Aqua work on the straw, and Kazuma clearly saw this.

"Aqua, pay attention and stop distracting Naruto! This has to do with you too!"

"Don't wanna-Wah! No, I'm not finished yet!"

Aqua whaled when Kazuma snatched the straw out of her hands, and she started bobbing at the boy's head comically.

Naruto chuckled as he watched the two fight until Aqua somehow managed to retrieve her straw back.

"So I take it you're from this Japan place, Kazuma?"

Kazuma rubbed his head as he sent the priest, who was sitting next to him, an annoyed expression, then looked at Naruto and nodded.

"Yeah, but to think there really are other worlds out there besides my old home and this world. It's really just like a video game!"

Aqua stifled a laugh.

"As expected of Kazuma who's previous life was merely that of a NEET, comparing the real world to a video game is-Hey! No, I'm sorry! Stop it Kazuma! It's gonna break! Kazuma-San!"

Kazuma let go of Aqua's strange looking straw before crossing his arms. He was getting sidetracked because of this dumb girl. If she didn't want to listen, then so be it.

"What kind of world did you come from?"

Naruto hummed in thought when Kazuma questioned him about his old home.

"I guess it was kinda like this world… But we didn't have a king, and we didn't use magic. We, ninja, use chakra!"

"You're a ninja?"

Kazuma questioned incredulously as he looked at the blonde's attire. The guy was wearing a headband with a strange symbol, but with those bright orange clothes coupled with his light blonde hair… Then there was also that bright golden energy power he used earlier.

Nope. Kazuma just couldn't see this guy being able to stealth looking like that.

Seeing the doubt on Kazuma's face, Naruto fumed.

"I-I'm really a ninja, ya know! I might look like this, but I could hide from some of the hidden village's top ninja when I was twelve! I even stole the forbidden scroll of sealing and learned a jutsu from it in one night!"

Kazuma gained a sour look. He had grown excited when Naruto had mentioned a hidden village, but that excitement was immediately shot down when he heard the top ninja of the village couldn't capture a blonde child wearing bright orange clothes.

What kind of ninjas were they training in that hidden village? How could they let something that significant fall into the hands of a child? Were they stupid?

Kazuma was beginning to doubt the man in front of him. Was this person really from a ninja village?

As if hearing the thoughts of disbelief in Kazuma's head, Naruto's ears turned red. But before he had the chance to defend his old home, Aqua held something out to him from across the table.

"Sorry for the wait, but it's finished!"

Naruto blinked in confusion but accepted the strange looking object without much thought. It looked like the straw Aqua had been fiddling with earlier, but the thing in Naruto's hands looked so multifaceted, that one could not simply call it a straw anymore.

"W-what is this?"

"It's a straw but no ordinary straw. That straw is an ancient artifact that allows the user to grant entertainment while drinking from it!"

Aqua explained while nodding her head confidently.

'Ancient relic? Didn't you say you just finish making it?'

Kazuma thought with a sweatdrop. He wanted to retort but kept quiet since he was curious as to what Aqua had made. She was utterly useless most of the time, but this girl had a strange knack for arts and crafts.

"What does it do?"

Naruto asked as he continued to look at the supposed straw in his hand. Upon further inspection, it had the shape of a person, which baffled Naruto. The straw had only been a couple inches long, so how did Aqua manage to make this thing?

"Fufufu… Order us some more drinks and find out!"

Aqua said with a gleeful look and finished rest of the drink Naruto had ordered for her earlier.

After Naruto called for the waitress and had her bring them more drinks, he stuck the straw into his neroid juice and drank from it.

"W-wha… How is that even possible!? Aqua, you… This is actually amazing!?"

Kazuma exclaimed and looked at Aqua with a shocked look.

Naruto's eyes were wide as well. He swallowed his beverage and looked at Aqua in awe.

"How did you make something like this!?"

Aqua soaked in the compliments with a smug look of self-satisfaction.

"It's amazing, right? You can praise me more!"

When Naruto drank from the straw, the neroid juice gave it a yellow appearance, and they were able to see what the shape was more clearly. The straw seemed to be shaped like Naruto, and it looked like he was in his golden chakra form due to the yellow nature of the beverage.

But something like this should have been impossible with a regular straw.

Shaking his amazement away, Naruto put his drink down.

"Thanks for this, but why?"

"To thank you for the drinks... Of course, that artifact is probably worth one-hundred drinks! So I wouldn't mind if you treated me to a couple more."

Aqua mumbled, before adding the last bit haughtily.

"R-right…"

Naruto said and looked at Kazuma, who merely shrugged. Aqua was a lot different than Naruto had imagined her to be. When he first saw her at the cemetery, and how she had so elegantly purified the ghost, she looked like a kind girl with a gentle personality. A classic personality for a priest.

But, boy was he wrong.

'Oh well, this Aqua isn't so bad. She may have a weird personality, but I can't really hate her for that. Plus, she seems to get along just fine with Kazuma.'

Naruto thought as he watched Aqua call for a waitress, and his smile disappeared.

Kazuma watched Naruto's facial expression change from troubled to a look of acceptation, but then it went back to troubled again when Aqua told the waitress to put the bill for the drinks she had just ordered onto Naruto's tab.

Did he just accept Aqua's personality?

No no no. That was no good. As someone who had spent an entire week with the girl, Kazuma just couldn't let his kohai fall into that trap.

'Aqua's the kind of person that takes advantage of other people's kindness. Naruto seems like the kind of guy who would fall for such an easy trap. So, as a kind and thoughtful senpai would do, I can't let that girl take advantage of him.'

Kazuma thought while staring at the goddess(lol) who was getting drunk off of booze in the afternoon with a look of disdain. She was even being treated by the person that saved her…

"Neh, Kazuma… *Hic!* Why are looking at me like I'm some hopeless problem child? I haven't done anything wrong… *Hic!* Yet..."

Yet?

Kazuma bowed his head slightly to Naruto apologetically, and the blonde merely tilted his head in confusion.

* * *

After Aqua got sick from drinking too much and ran outside, Kazuma told Naruto that they would be doing more hunting quests for the guild and that they would probably see each other more often before chasing after the bluenette.

The reason they hadn't seen each other at the guild at all was because of the nature of the construction work that Kazuma and Aqua had been doing. The two would wake up at dawn, and finish by sundown.

Naruto stood up and was about to go turn in his quest from earlier when he was stopped by a waitress who was smiling at him with a smile that almost seemed apologetic. As he wondered why the girl was looking at him that way, he remembered the bill.

"Ah, right…"

Naruto grumbled and reluctantly pulled the Eris out of his wallet. The cost of the alcohol that Aqua had ordered was the same as an entire reward from one of his solo hunting rewards…

That was the last time he was treating that girl to alcohol.

' **You see brat, gods and goddesses are nothing but trouble. You should just forget about that woman and go to the next town already.'**

'And leave Wiz behind with all that debt? Not gonna happen.'

Naruto told Kurama and walked towards the receptionist desk.

"H-hello Naruto-San! Thank you for your hard work today!"

Luna cheerfully said when Naruto stopped in front of her desk.

"Of course! You can leave any of the unwanted quests to me, Luna-Chan!"

Naruto said in a voice loud enough for the rest of the guild hall to hear, and he could already feel the heated glares from the other adventurers on his back.

Luna's smile became a bit strained when she noticed the tears in Naruto's jacket.

"M-my goodness! You look like you had a rough time all by yourself, Naruto-San. I remember suggesting that you should form a party…"

He had her on the ropes.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and laughed wholeheartedly.

"Yeah, it seems I underestimated those Venis-flytraps! One nearly chomped my arm off! Hahaha!"

"…"

One final pull-

"Too bad my favorite jacket is ruined, but I guess it's better than losing my arm and potentially my lif-"

"I'm sorry I didn't properly warn you!"

Naruto stopped midsentence when Luna suddenly shouted.

"…Eh?"

Luna bowed her head and continued.

"I had a feeling you didn't know about the abnormally large Venus-flytraps in this area, but you just left, and I thought you would be okay since your stats are so high!"

"W-wait, it's not a big deal-"

Naruto said in an attempt to stop the girl who was starting to break character, but Luna just kept yelling with teary eyes.

"But then I started to worry that Naruto-San wouldn't come back, and it would be all my fault! But all I could do as a receptionist is wait here and pray for your safety!"

"…"

Naruto fell silent as the stares around him began to turn into scornful ones.

"Now Naruto-San probably hates this irresponsible receptionist who makes such dangerous assumptions-"

"I'm sorry Luna-San! You don't have to apologize anymore!"

* * *

Naruto sighed as he walked down the street towards Wiz's magic shop. Luna had completely turned the situation around in her favor, and Naruto couldn't do a thing about it…

The power of a woman's tears was frightening.

Walking up the steps to the store and opening the door, Naruto saw Wiz in the back organizing some of the merchandise on the shelves.

Wiz didn't seem to notice him, and Naruto didn't want to surprise her while she was handling such dangerous potions, so he leaned against the door frame to wait until she was finished.

Naruto grinned when Wiz began to hum peacefully, the scene in front of him just seemed to fit. This clumsy shopkeeper may have atrocious business tactics, but she enjoyed what she was doing, and Naruto didn't want to see that happiness torn away from her.

When Wiz was seemingly satisfied with her work, she turned towards the front of the little shop and jumped in surprise.

"N-Naruto-San!?"

"Sorry, I was afraid you would drop a potion if I startled you, so I kept quiet. You should really get a bell for the door."

Naruto said and pulled the table from the corner of the store to the middle of the room.

Wiz pouted with puffy cheeks. If her heart was still beating, it'd probably be throbbing right now.

"Honestly… You shouldn't tease a girl like that. We may look cute and helpless, but take it too far, and you'll be sorry."

Naruto laughed and took a seat at the table.

"I believe you. Now then, what can I do to help?"

Wiz smiled, remembering the things Naruto said earlier that morning and tapped her chin in thought.

"Hm… Could I ask you to sweep the front of the store? While you're doing that, I can tell you about some ideas that I've come up with!"

Naruto nodded and looked for the broom, spotting it behind the counter. Grabbing it, he started sweeping the front of the store. While he was cleaning, a nostalgic smile stretched across his features.

"This kinda brings back memories, ya know? I used to sweep for an Ossan's shop for my favorite food when I didn't have any money."

"Really? What kind of food was it?"

Wiz asked as she grabbed a notebook she'd been jotting her ideas on.

"Ramen, of course!"

Naruto said with a toothy grin.

'Man… I haven't had ramen at all since I came to this world. Maybe tonight I'll ask the waitresses if they have-'

"Eh~ What's ramen?"

Wiz said with her head tilted, and Naruto face-faulted.

Supporting himself on the broom, Naruto looked at Wiz with a crooked smile.

"Um… Noodles, miso soup, you know? Ramen? The food of the gods?"

Wiz tilted her head the other way and hummed.

"Mmmm... Nope! Even back in my adventuring days, when I traveled all over the country, I've never once heard of such a food."

At that moment, Naruto's blood ran cold. He had been so caught up in learning about the world he was in that he hadn't even thought of the possibility…

That this world might not even have ramen.

Wiz, oblivious to Naruto's twitching form, began to flip through her notebook.

"So, the first idea I came up with was ordering a specially made set of magic items. I know an Arch Wizard from the Crimson Demon Village who-"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Wahhh!"

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay, life has not been giving me a break. ^^**

 **Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think anyone knows how to make Ramen in the world of KonoSuba. Aside from maybe a couple Japanese 'players' who have knowledge of the food. ¯\\_** **ツ** **_/¯**

 **Until next time, Spirit out!**


	6. Want to Form a Party?

**A/N: Revised: 3/21/19**

* * *

"We can't beat the toads by ourselves. Let's recruit more party members."

Kazuma told Aqua with a serious expression.

After a second attempt in fighting the giant toads, the two went back to the guild to come up with a better strategy. They had three days to kill five toads, and they only killed one toad because Naruto had knocked it out.

—Kazuma had gone back and finished the job while Naruto was waiting for them at the adventurer's guild.

Gaining a third party member was the obvious choice to overcome this obstacle.

"Leave it to me! If I make the request form, people will be lining up to join us because I'm an Arch Priest! We're in high demand you know?"

Aqua said and rushed off to gather the materials needed to make a request form.

'Should I really leave it to that girl…? Meh, it's only a party invitation. Aqua should be able to at least do a simple task like that.'

Kazuma thought with a short nod. It was better for Aqua, who held a higher class than him, to make the invitation. Because who would want to join a party with the weakest job of an adventurer?

While Kazuma was reassuring himself, the guild doors opened, and he saw a gloomy looking Naruto slowly walk inside.

'Naruto? What's wrong with him?'

Kazuma thought when Aqua slammed her hands onto their table, shocking the teen.

"Kazuma! I've really outdone myself this time! Just wait, people will be lining up outside the door to join my party!"

"When did this become _your_ party? By the way, you seem awfully excited about this. What happened to the whiny girl that wanted nothing more than to go home? But whatever. Why don't we just ask Naruto to join us?"

Kazuma suggested.

Inviting Naruto into the party should have been a no-brainer. Kazuma couldn't exactly say they were friends because they've only had two conversations, but the guy did save Aqua. Because Naruto had a gift from the gods, it was safe to assume he was strong. Plus, Kazuma had been hearing rumors of Naruto being a solo hunter. So that meant he wasn't already in a party.

"Eh? But I already went to the trouble of making that invitation form… We should wait to see who answers to my call."

Aqua said with a shrug and drank from her cup, which prompted Kazuma to raise an eyebrow.

"That's a surprise, I thought you would be all for asking Naruto to join us. You like him, don't you?"

"!"

Aqua spewed the contents of her drink into Kazuma's face.

"W-who likes who!? How could a goddess such as myself fall in love with a mortal so quickly? If anything, I'm sure Naruto has fallen head over heels over my beauty!"

Aqua stated confidently and gestured to herself while Kazuma grumpily wiped his face with a napkin.

"Don't give me that crap! When Naruto saved you from being eaten by that toad yesterday, you were acting out of character saying _"T-thank you for saving me"_ all shy like a heroine in a _girl meets boy_ manga!"

Kazuma fired back with an exaggerated imitation of Aqua's voice, causing the girl's face to burn bright red.

"Girl meets boy!?"

While Kazuma and Aqua were arguing, Naruto was dragging his feet to the reception desks. He was too engrossed in his thoughts to hear what they were saying.

'Ramen… No more ramen… Ramen…'

Naruto continuously thought until he stopped at the desk and leaned onto the counter and tapping the bell to call Luna over.

Upon seeing the shinobi when she walked over to the receptionist counter, Luna's eyes flashed with concern. Which was only natural given the state Naruto was in. The boy looked like he hadn't slept in days, which didn't make any sense since she had seen him just yesterday. His typically cheerful eyes looked dead on the inside as if he had just seen the depths of hell.

"U-um… I was wondering why you didn't show up at the usual time this morning, what happened to you? You look awful…"

Naruto strained a smile.

"Do you know what ramen is?"

"Ramen? No, I'm sorry…"

"That's okay… It's a food from my country. But no one knows what it is, much less how to make it. I spent half of my savings on ingredients to try and make it myself last night and this morning, but all my attempts were so bad that I threw up five times doing taste tests. One was so bad I even passed out…"

"I-I see…"

Luna responded and smiled bitterly. This was a little concerning. No, it was more than a little concerning. Naruto was always bright and full of energy, even after completing hard and tedious durian quests. Just what was this ramen stuff to him that it put him in such a state?

While the receptionist tried to think of a solution, Naruto sighed. Wiz closed the shop for the day because she was going to visit the magic item maker she had mentioned, so Naruto had been searching for any leads on ramen. This was the last place in town he could think of that might have his favorite food or at least someone who knew of it.

Not being able to stand seeing the normally energetic Naruto like this anymore, Luna was about to ask if there was anything she could do when the boy's face suddenly lit up again.

"Well, looks like I have no other choice than to make it myself! But first I need to regain the funds I lost… Hook me up with another quest, Luna-Chan!"

"H-hai! There have been sightings of a Rookie Killer a couple miles north of town, but it's in the mountains, and the terrain is volatile…"

Surprised by the sudden change of emotion, Luna blurted out a random quest off the top of her head.

"I'll take it! In the mountains to the north, right? I'll hurry up and be back by tonight!"

Luna's eyes widened when Naruto made such a ridiculous claim.

"Tonight!? It almost takes an entire day to get there by foot, and hunting a rookie killer is no joking matter! Even with your high stats, it's still dangerous! I highly suggest forming a party for this quest Naruto-San!"

"No way! If I form a party then I'll have to split the reward, right? I need all the money I can get for ingredients to make my ramen! Understand? Good. See ya later Luna-Chan!"

Naruto explained before he turned around and left, leaving a very confused Luna behind.

Snapping out if her confusion, Luna ran after the teen. She knew Naruto wasn't going to back down so she would help him out the only way she could: By giving him information!

"Wait! At least take this! It's a book containing information on the monsters around this part of the kingdom."

Naruto took the offered book. Flipping through the pages, he stopped when he saw a familiar man-eating plant. There was an entire page of information regarding the Venus-Fly traps, and Naruto assumed the book also contained information on the Rookie Killer.

Naruto sent Luna a flat look.

"This would have been useful yesterday…"

"New members usually form parties with experienced adventurers and learn about the monsters from them. But since you've been solo hunting this entire time…"

Luna trailed off and apologetically clasped her hands.

Naruto sighed and waved the apology off.

"It's okay, I already have experience with giant monsters anyway. Those Venus-fly traps were nothing compared to some of the beasts I've seen."

As Naruto left while laughing heartily, Luna found herself wondering just what kind of country the boy was from.

Just as Naruto was about to open the guild doors and leave, he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"Hey, Naruto! Hang on a second!"

Turning around, Naruto found Kazuma and Aqua walking up to him. Kazuma was waving at him while Aqua was looking away for some reason. Perhaps they got into an argument?

"Hey guys, what are you doing here? I thought you would already be continuing your quest by now?"

"We were, but the quest we took is a little rough for just the two of us, so we're recruiting more members… Would you like to join our party?"

Kazuma said while averting his gaze awkwardly. It killed him to have to ask his kohai for assistance, but he was left with few options. Still, he'd rather swallow his pride than be consumed by giant toads.

Naruto's eyes widened slightly before they went back to normal. Forming a party with these two sounded like fun, but Naruto had already taken a quest from Luna.

"Sorry, but I already took a quest for today and was just about to head out. Maybe next time!"

"A-ah, I see… Guess there's no helping it!"

Kazuma said and laughed while rubbing the back of his head. He was just rejected by his kohai…

—No, it was only natural for someone powerful to reject a party invitation from amateurs like them. They would probably just hold him back in the quests. Kohai? Kazuma felt stupid for thinking that he was this man's superior for even a second.

Naruto may be new to this world just like him, but if what the blonde said about coming from a ninja village was true then he was no amateur.

It was then Aqua stepped forward and looked Naruto straight in the eye, causing the boy unconsciously took a step back feeling flustered from the sudden movement.

"I guess I have no choice! Naruto, will you join our party to defeat the giant toads-"

"Uh… No. Why would Aqua asking this time would change my answer?"

"!"

Naruto's words fell on Aqua like a cement block, and she dropped to her hands and knees dejectedly.

"N-no… I guess it wouldn't…"

'She got rejected too… P-poor fellow.'

Kazuma thought and stifled his laughter when Aqua started mumbling to herself. Oh well, this outcome was to be expected. It's not like they were friends with Naruto anyway, and they still had their party invitation on the board.

Aqua sprung back up with teary eyes.

"Why!? I was the one who asked this time, so Naruto should have instantly changed his mind and accepted! Apologize! Apologize for declining a request from a goddess!"

"W-what!? But I already said I accepted another quest… Returning it would be rude!"

Naruto responded while putting his hands up in defense. He felt kinda bad about rejecting their offer, but what was this girl going on about? Actually, was this girl really a goddess? She had the same holy feeling to her as Eris, but she sure wasn't acting like one…

"Well I'm sorry I can't join you guys this time, but I gotta go if I wanna complete my quest by tonight. See ya!"

"Ah! He ran away! Wait!"

Aqua said in a failed attempt to stop the fleeing blonde, but he was already long gone.

"My charms as a goddess had no effect…"

Kazuma patted the girl on the shoulder.

"There there."

"No! It's impossible for my divine charms to fail! He's probably just shy! Yeah, that's it! Poor man, he couldn't muster the courage to be in the same party as the beautiful and kind Arch Priest Aqua-Sama!"

…But wasn't it the other way around? Just how self-absorbed could this woman be?

These were the thoughts in Kazuma's mind as he continued to listen to Aqua's little rant. He hoped the person that responded to their request wasn't as troublesome as this girl.

* * *

 **A Few Hours Later…**

"Well, that was easy…"

Naruto said as he leaped through the trees in the direction of the town. With a bit of hustling, he managed to get to the mountainous region within an hour.

A day's trip by foot in an hour was nothing for the son of The Yellow Flash!

Finding the target had been simple enough too. The book said Rookie Killers herded mobs of goblins to lure in newbie adventurers, then attacked the unsuspecting prey. Hence the name 'Rookie' Killer.

After finding a group of goblins in the mountains, Naruto killed a few to draw out the Rookie Killer. When the beast finally showed up and attacked him, Naruto killed it by knocking it off the cliffside with a single Rasengan.

Then, all he had to do was cut off its fangs to prove that he killed it.

With the teeth of the Rookie Killer in his shinobi pouch, Naruto was nearing the town when he heard a shout.

Coming to a stop, Naruto scanned the area for the owner of the voice. He eventually found a woman with long blonde hair clad in heavy armor facing off against a silver wolf. She wielded a broad two-handed sword tightly in her two hands as she kept her distance from the growling beast.

This woman was obviously an adventurer.

Naruto debated whether or not to jump in and help. Since this woman was an adventurer, she was likely out here training. He didn't want to steal away her experience points by killing the wolf.

Deciding to wait and see how things played out, Naruto leaned against the tree and watched. If the woman needed help, then he would jump in.

The silver wolf decided to attack and rushed in for a bite. The blonde-haired woman slid her foot back in preparation to slash.

Swoosh!

Naruto raised his eyebrows when he heard the sound of the two-handed sword cut through the air from where he was. To be able to swing a sword that massive with that much speed was impressive.

But the wolf managed to dodge the blade and charged in again for another bite attack.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Ching!

…

"Argh! My sword got stuck! Ah! D-don't come near me with those beastly eyes!"

Naruto sweatdropped as he watched the scene before him unfold. The woman had missed another couple swings with her sword before it became lodged into a tree.

Naruto was no expert in kenjutsu, but even he could tell this woman had no swordsmanship. He must have been blinded by the speed she was swinging the sword to not notice the first time.

When he saw the wolf close in on the girl, and she had yet to pull her sword from the tree, Naruto moved out.

"No! Stay back you foul beast! Damn it! If only my sword hadn't gotten stuck, then I could have avoided being ravished by this beast!"

'…What?'

Naruto thought as he landed on top of the silver wolf's head, killing it instantly. He then looked up at the girl who had just braced herself to be attacked and found a small smile creeping on her mouth.

The woman opened her eyes when the attack never came and saw Naruto staring at her.

Naruto scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"U-um… Were you smiling just now?"

"No, I wasn't."

She denied it?

Naruto sent his fellow blonde a flat look.

"Yes, you were. I saw you smiling when I jumped in."

"Thank you for helping me. I was in quite a pinch there. Who knows what might have happened if you hadn't been around."

'She changed the subject…'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop as the woman finally pried her sword from the tree with a minimal effort.

…Was that sword actually stuck?

"I was on my way back from a quest when I heard you're shouting. Were you out here training? Sorry if I took your kill."

"Yes, I was training with a friend. We were supposed to be heading back to the adventurer's guild when we got separated, and I was attacked by that silver wolf. My name is Darkness, what is your name?"

"My name is Naruto… So are you a beginner adventurer?"

Naruto asked the now named Darkness while eying the woman's sword.

Darkness seemed to have noticed his stares and blushed.

"Although I am ashamed to say, my swordplay is close to nonexistent… But my defense is second to none! I hold the holy vanguard job of Crusader!"

'Ah, so I was spot on…'

Naruto thought as Darkness rambled on about her defenses. She seemed like a nice girl, but there was something about that smile Naruto saw earlier that bugged him.

Who smiled when they were about to get bitten by a wolf? Did she have a secret plan that he didn't notice?

Deciding it would be better not to delve on it, Naruto angled himself towards the town.

"Well, it was nice meeting you Darkness. But I gotta get back to the guild and turn in my quest."

"Ah, yes of course! S-sorry for keeping you for so long! Perhaps we'll see each other at the guild?"

Darkness stuttered and tapped her fingers together nervously.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at this. Why was she nervous? Was this girl not used to talking to other people? This must be what people called an uncivilized person.

Putting on a cheeky grin, Naruto gave the girl a thumbs up.

"Sure! If you see me, just give me a shout! See ya Darkness!"

Naruto said and took off towards the town to surprise a specific receptionist with his record timing once again.

Darkness watched the friendly shinobi until he was out of sight.

"Naruto, huh? What a nice person…"

…

"How disappointing! He didn't even ask for anything in return for saving me! The least he could have done was ask for money, and when I would say "I don't have any money" and "is there was any other way I could pay him back?" He would look at my body with lecherous eyes and say "how about you pay me back with that slutty body of yours"! But that man didn't so much as look at my breasts!"

Darkness yelled with a dangerous smile plastered all over her face, panting a few times between sentences.

It was then she heard someone cough.

Whirling around with red cheeks, her entire face turned crimson when she saw her white-haired friend.

"C-Chris!? ...How much did you hear?"

"All of it. I always knew Darkness was an uncivilized person, but someone you just met? In the middle of the forest?"

"Guh! You're mistaken, and d-don't say it like that!"

Darkness said with teary eyes, and Chris stuck her tongue out playfully.

"Just kidding. So, who was that guy?"

"His name was Naruto… He's an adventurer, like us."

"Naruto… Huh?"

Chris said with a knowing smile.

Noticing the look on her friend's face, Darkness raised an eyebrow.

"Do you know him?"

Chris scratched the scar on her left cheek.

"No… But I've heard a couple rumors floating around town that he's a bit of a player. They say he's always flirting with the head receptionist at the guild, and that he's already seduced the owner of a magic item shop."

"I see… But those rumors are surely false. Although I only just met him, that man doesn't seem like to type that shamelessly plays with a woman's heart."

"Oho~? Perhaps Darkness has already fallen prey to 'Naruto the player' after all?"

Chris cooed and looked at Darkness with a playful smirk making the female knight blush.

"O-of course not! How could I fall for someone who only looks at me in the eyes?"

'Isn't that a good thing to do?'

Chris thought with a sweatdrop as Darkness pouted.

"Well, I think we should start heading bac-"

BOOM!

A sudden tremor violently shook the ground, threatening to knock the two girls off their feet.

"W-w-what was that!?"

"There was an explosion over there..."

Chris said and pointed towards the town. A large cloud of smoke could be seen just outside of the town's walls.

"…Hey. Wasn't that the direction Naruto went?"

Darkness said when she realized the explosion was in the same direction the boy had run off to.

The two girls looked at each other and gulped.

Was Naruto okay?

* * *

 **A/N: Next time, a party is formed!**

 **P.S. Review! I wanna know what you thought of the chapter! I also wanna know what direction you would like to see the story to head! ^u^**


	7. A Party is Formed(?)

**Revised: 3/21/19**

* * *

'Darkness, huh? She kept looking at me like I was supposed to do something… What a weird person.'

Naruto thought as he walked back towards the town with his hands behind his head. His first impression of Darkness was that she was a clumsy knight that couldn't swing a sword for her life. Although she seemed like a nice person and was very pretty…

'But I'm still concerned about that smile after all…'

The shinobi thought just as he heard a thumping noise, and he could see a toad hopping across the field a couple meters in front of him.

Naruto frowned. How could the people of this town want to kill such a harmless creature? He knew the giant toads in this world were completely different than the ones from his home, but couldn't they just move them without killing them?

Seeing the toads here reminded Naruto just how much he missed Gamakichi and the other toads back at Mount Myōboku.

'I wonder how they're all doing right now? Ma and Pa, the chief toad, Gamaken, Gama... Eh? What's with those clouds?'

Up in the sky, an ominous formation of dark clouds was beginning to swirl. Naruto started to feel a great collection of energy that he could only assume was mana off in the distance. Looking for the owner of the mana, Naruto saw a young girl wearing red clothes and a black cape with a matching black witch's hat. She seemed to be aiming…

…Right at the toad.

Naruto's eyes widened when he realized the mage's intentions, but he was too late. The girl opened her mouth, and all hell broke loose.

"Explosion!"

BOOM!

A deafening sound roared, and the toad was consumed in a volume of fire.

The wind caused by the explosion swept Naruto off the ground and blew him back a few feet, but he grabbed onto the ground to keep himself from tumbling away.

Naruto squinted his eyes as he watched the combustion that was comparable to even a small Bijuu Bomb.

Finally, the wind died down, and Naruto was allowed to relax.

There was now an enormous crater just fifteen meters in front of him, the remains of the toad were nowhere to be seen.

Naruto blinked.

He blinked twice.

Until finally:

"OI! Just where the hell do you think you're aiming that spell, and why would you use such a powerful technique on a toad!? That was way past overkill!"

Naruto shouted angrily at the red clothed mage and started running towards her to exact revenge, only skidding to a stop when the girl suddenly collapsed.

"H-hey, are you okay?"

He asked and crouched down in front of the little girl who was lying face down on the floor.

"Yes… It was a long fought battle, but I used up all of my mana in that first and final attack. I see you were almost caught in the explosion… My apologies, I get very excited when using that spell."

"I-I see… No, I guess it's fine. But you should watch where you're firing that spell, you could kill someone with that much firepower."

"Heh… A sacrifice or two would be nothing more than a tribute to Megumin, who was likely a god of destruction in a past life!"

"Well, this 'sacrifice' is about to leave you to be toad food if you don't stop talking nonsense, oh _great god of destruction_."

Naruto said with a twitching eyebrow, then grabbed Megumin's staff and proceeded to lightly bop the girl on the head.

Megumin's head shuffled awkwardly in response, and Naruto assumed that was her nodding. At the same time, the blonde heard footsteps and a familiar voice shouting.

"Megumin! We have two more toads left! Use your spell again on the farther one while Aqua is distracting the other one-Oh, Naruto? What are you doing here… Hey! What did you do to Megumin!?"

Kazuma shouted and rushed over to the now named Megumin's side.

At first glance, it looked like Naruto had just mugged a little girl by beating her with her own equipment.

"I didn't do anything! This kid almost hit me with that explosion!"

Naruto shouted back while pointing at the mage with the staff. If Kazuma was here, then that would mean this kid was likely a new member of his and Aqua's party.

"Who are you calling a kid? If my mana wasn't depleted, I would-"

Megumin said in a dark voice when Kazuma suddenly interrupted her.

"Wait, what do you mean your mana's depleted? You only used one spell! Don't tell me you're just as useless as Aqua…"

Speaking of Aqua, where was that girl?

'Ah, Kazuma said Aqua was distracting one of the toads. Which probably means…'

Naruto thought and walked off to find the girl that was likely being eaten by a toad.

"How rude to assume I'm useless! Though it is regrettable, I can only use that spell once by using all my mana with leaves me too exhausted to move. But being paralyzed from the neck down after casting is a small price to pay for the ultimate power that is Explosion magic!"

Megumin's muffled voice said with her face still flat on the ground.

Kazuma's face paled. A mage that could only use her spell once a day? That spell couldn't even be used inside a cave or a building, much less a town. Such impractical magic… This mage sounded absolutely useless!

A thumping sound brought Kazuma out of his thoughts, and he saw one of the toads coming towards them.

"Oh no, the other toad is almost here! Naruto, help us out since you're here… Eh?"

Kazuma said when he noticed Naruto was nowhere to be found. Where did the only person that could fight go!?

"Ah, since I cannot move my body I will inevitably be consumed by that toad. I leave it to you to save m-"

Megumin said before she was consumed, her legs sticking out of the toad's mouth comically.

Kazuma gulped as he drew his sword. Why did this world keep throwing all these obstacles at him?

Wasn't he supposed to be the hero that would eventually slay the demon king?

Then why was he sent to a beginner town with no money, no weapon, and a goddess(lol) that was only useful for her useless party tricks?

* * *

 **Adventurer's Guild…**

Just as Naruto had thought, Aqua had been caught and almost swallowed by the giant toad. After smacking the toad and calming the crying girl, Kazuma had shown up with a slimy Megumin on his back.

While they were on their way to the bathhouses, Megumin and Kazuma had an argument. Naruto didn't quite hear what they were talking about, only managing to catch something about how Megumin was willing to do anything to be in their party, and then Kazuma eventually agreeing to let her join.

Now sitting inside the adventurer's guild, Naruto and Kazuma ordered some drinks while they waited for the girls.

"So, looks like you got yourself a troublesome new party member."

Naruto said to Kazuma, who had decided to order some beer. How old was this guy anyway? Kazuma didn't look that much younger than him, maybe a year? But that wasn't any of Naruto's business, so he let it go.

Kazuma placed his beer down and sighed.

"Troublesome is putting it lightly. That girl can only use one spell a day, and while that spell is incredibly strong, I don't see much use of it…"

Naruto laughed.

"But that spell was incredibly potent, I bet it could one-shot most of the monsters in this world. I wonder how that kid was able to produce such an explosion."

"Again, who are you calling a kid? Are you picking a fight with me?"

Megumin, who had just entered the guild hall with Aqua, said and the two sat down on the other side of the table. Aqua immediately called a waitress and ordered some food.

"Ah, put this on Naruto's tab please."

Aqua said to the waitress, and Naruto loudly stood up.

"Hey, wait a second! Why am I treating when I just saved you!? Again! If anything, you should be treating me!"

Naruto shouted angrily, and Aqua shrugged nonchalantly.

"Think of it as a small price to pay for having the privilege of holding a goddess in your arms a second time. You should be thanking me since I decided not to tell the others where you accidentally touched-"

"Double order for the lady!"

Naruto quickly shouted to the waitress when Aqua started saying unnecessary words, and the blue-haired priest squealed in delight.

That girl… Even though she had been balling her eyes out crying and gripping onto his leg while thanking him. It's not his fault he touched her butt when he caught her!

Feeling the gazes of the other two people at the table, Naruto turned to Kazuma.

"B-by the way, where did you go after we dropped the girls off at the bathhouse? You said you had something to do, but you came back rather quickly…"

The blonde asked with suspicious eyes, and Kazuma averted his gaze.

"AH! You probably went back to kill that toad, didn't you! Th-then that means I unintentionally assisted in a murder!"

"Hey, let go! What do you mean by murder? Killing toads is our quest, why didn't you just let me kill it earlier?"

While Naruto all but strangled Kazuma, Megumin raised an eyebrow.

"Why does it matter if a few giant toads are killed? They're eating the livestock of the farms and sometimes even people."

"But most importantly, the toad meat is delicious! By the way, Kazuma went back and killed the toad you knocked out the first time you saved me as well."

Aqua chimed in while taking a bite out of the fried toad meat in her hands.

"No! Don't say that!"

Naruto shouted and covered his ears to keep himself from hearing anymore. He knew the toads in this world were treated as monsters, but he couldn't bring himself to slay one himself. Just being a part of the killing of one filled him with guilt.

"I've been wondering for a while now, but who is this man? Is he also a part of this party?"

Megumin asked, and Naruto stopped yelling.

"He's not part of our party, but our invitation is still up on the board. Fair warning though, you might get covered in slime."

Kazuma said to Naruto, and the blonde scratched his cheek.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to form a party with you guys. After all, Luna-chan has been telling me to form a party for safety reasons since I first got here. Ah, but I'm not killing any toads."

Naruto said with a chuckle of his own, and Kazuma sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness… With Naruto in the party, now I won't have to worry about those people as much."

"Oi. Who are _"those people"_ you are talking about? I'd really like to meet them."

Megumin asked with a dark expression, and Kazuma immediately turned to Aqua.

"So Aqua, no objections?"

Aqua gulped down the food she had been munching on and held her hand out.

"Not really, just let me see your adventurer's card. I'm curious as to what your job and stats are."

She said, and Naruto fished the card out of his pocket and handed it over before turning to Kazuma.

"Well, I'm not gonna lie… I don't know how I feel about joining your party. I have a feeling I'm gonna keep getting swindled of all my money. Not to mention that little girl with too much firepower. But eh, I'm sure we'll get along just fine."

"What's this, are you picking a fight with me too? Don't think for a second that I'm afraid of fighting two boys at the same time, I'll take you both on."

Megumin asked with a serious expression and cracked her knuckles.

'This kid sure has a lot of spunk…'

Naruto thought while laughing awkwardly.

' **Kind of reminds me of a certain loudmouthed brat that had a short fuse. Still does...'**

Kurama's voice added, and Naruto was about to give the fox a piece of his mind when Aqua suddenly looked up from the card and spoke.

"Rejected."

…

"Eh!?" x2

Naruto and Kazuma both shouted.

"The invitation clearly states one must have an advanced job class if they wish to join. That's why I allowed Megumin to join, who is an Arch Wizard."

'Just what is that girl thinking? Is she still mad about Naruto rejecting her invitation last time?'

Kazuma thought with a twitching eyebrow.

"What's with you!? You were pretty much begging me to join your party this morning, what happened to that!?"

Naruto yelled and slammed his hands on the table to emphasize his frustration, but Aqua merely looked the other way.

"I changed my mind. My party doesn't need _two_ useless adventurers."

"Useless!? I saved you from being eaten by giant toads! Twice! I can't believe you turned out to be this kind of person and to think I once thought you looked really cool when you purified that ghost… Give me my admiration back!"

Naruto said and reached his hand out expectedly, to which Aqua smacked away.

"Ah! Were you watching me at that time!? Are you that obsessed with me!? You said you were a ninja, but I didn't think you'd go as far as stalking me from the shadows!"

"Who's a stalker!?"

Kazuma looked back and forth between the two screaming people. How did this happen?

"Jeez… Get a room you two…"

Megumin suddenly said with a sigh, then flinched when both Naruto and Aqua stopped and turned their attention towards her.

"Hah!? Who would share a room with this stalker!? For all I know, he'd probably steal my panties every night and giggle perversely while dancing around like an idiot!"

Aqua claimed while sending the ninja a scornful look.

"Like hell I would! What in the world gave you the idea that I would do something like that? Do you even wear panties? I can't even tell!"

Naruto said with the shake of his head, and Aqua gasped while placing her hands over her rear.

"He admits it! This man has probably taken the path of a pervert, he truly is a devil! Don't worry, I'll purify _it_ now!"

"Who are you calling an _it_? And I told you before, I'm not a devil! …Stop trying to purify me!"

Naruto said and threw his empty cup at Aqua, who sidestepped the projectile with a snicker.

"How's that! I can sense a great deal of malice coming from you again, devil! Now, do you understand the power of a goddess?"

But the malice that Aqua was referring to was coming from none other than Kurama, who had just taken the full brunt of Aqua's consistent purification spells.

' **Kill this braindead woman! Or better yet, give me control over your body so that I may do it myself!'**

'Calm down Kurama, I think normal people are starting to sense your presence as well!'

Naruto thought back in an attempt to calm the enraged tailed beast, but it was too late, and he could already hear the whispers floating around the guild.

"Hey, did she just say devil?"

"I always thought Naruto was just a delinquent that was working hard to impress Luna-Chan, but is he actually a devil?"

"No way…"

Naruto lowered his head, and his bangs covered his eyes as the rumors began to spread.

"Oi Aqua, aren't you taking this a little too far-"

Kazuma started but was cut off when Megumin pointed her staff at Naruto, her eyes glowing.

"I do sense demonic energy coming from this man, why is that? Explain yourself, or I may just cast explosion magic to destroy you right here and now!"

She claimed, and some of the guild members began to panic. Megumin smirked triumphantly, clearly enjoying the chaos she had started.

"But didn't you say you could only cast Explosion once a day? You just used it earlier, right?"

Kazuma retorted which caused the panic to immediately die down, and Megumin began to sweat profoundly while keeping the same expression.

Naruto sighed. He was hoping to have kept the fact that he had Kurama a little longer, but he now realized it was pointless.

With the entire guild hall's attention on him, Naruto hopped up on a table and took a deep breath before putting on a confident grin.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I come from a faraway village of ninja! When I was a baby, the leader of my village sealed a nine-tailed fox demon inside me! But there's no need to worry because Kurama's my friend!"

Naruto shouted, causing many eyes to widen in surprise. He continued.

"I don't care if any of you believe me right now, because I'm gonna prove myself to this world! I'm going to be the one to defeat the demon king!"

This caused an uproar of chatting throughout the guild.

Kazuma stared at the blonde with wide eyes. Right now, Naruto was acting just like a protagonist straight out of an anime or manga. This sparked a fire in the pit of Kazuma's stomach, he couldn't be outdone by a fellow 'player'!

Grinning widely from his handiwork, Naruto hopped down from the table and started walking towards the exit. He had some ramen to make.

But someone grabbed his jacket and Naruto looked down to see Megumin staring up at him with sparkling eyes.

"That declaration was inspiring! I, too, hope to defeat the demon king one day and mark my name in history! That is why I came to this town to form a party with people with the same goal!"

'This kid may be a short-fused firecracker, but it seemed she has some decent goals.'

Naruto thought with a smile.

Kazuma sighed.

'Looks like Naruto's going to form a party with Megumin. I was hoping he would join us, but at least I only have to worry about one problem child agai-'

"Then that makes us rivals! Don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're a kid!"

"As the genius prodigy of the Crimson Magic Clan, I wouldn't have it any other way!"

"…Eh?"

Kazuma said when Naruto and Megumin suddenly announced that, and the ninja pointed at Aqua.

"Aqua! Let's have a race to see who can beat the demon king first!"

Aqua puffed out her chest and laughed haughtily.

"Hah! As if a mere stalker would pose a threat to the great me! But, being the kind goddess that I am, I'll humor you. You're on!"

Naruto chuckled, then turned to leave the guild again to go buy ingredients for his ramen experiments.

As the guild hall began to shift back to its former state, Kazuma finally snapped out of his surprise and started panicking. At this rate, he was going to be stuck with these two problem children all by himself!

"A-Aqua, apologize quickly! Naruto's going to leave!"

"Don't wanna. Naruto made his choice, not that I would have accepted him in the party anyway."

Aqua said while looking away with a 'hmph!', then went back to talking to Megumin.

'This girl…!'

Kazuma said while grinding his teeth.

A couple minutes after Naruto left, a tall, blonde-haired woman clad in armor walked up to their table.

"Is this the party that was said to have walked through town with girls covered in slime?"

"Y-yes?"

Kazuma stuttered due to the sudden appearance of the beautiful knight. Did people really talk about their party? He hoped there weren't any bad rumors about him…

The woman then let out a ragged breath and gained a dangerous look in her eyes, a look that Kazuma did _not_ like.

"My name is Darkness, and I wield the job of Crusader. Please let me join your party and use me as a meat shield against whatever caused that slime!"

Hearing this, Aqua and Megumin joined the conversation.

"Oh! We needed a vanguard in our party! Isn't this great, Kazuma!"

"Welcome to the party Darkness!"

…

"Naruto, wait for me! Don't leave me behind with these people!"

"Ah!" x3

* * *

 **A/N: Naruto will join Kazuma's party when Aqua apologizes... If she apologizes. :p**


	8. The Goddess's True Colors

**A/N: Revised: 3/21/19**

* * *

"Why… Why can't I make it right?"

Naruto mumbled. He was sitting while resting his head on the edge of the table.

He roughly remembered how to make the noodles, and even knew most of the ingredients. Heck, miso soup was reasonably common in this world. Yet, Naruto just couldn't quite get it.

So far, Naruto was able to make a decent miso soup now, and his noodles were getting there. But whenever he tried to put it all together with vegetables and meat, the flavors were always wrong!

"You'll get it next time for sure! I just know it!"

Wiz said sportingly before getting back to tearing through her third bowl of Naruto's 'failure' ramen with great haste.

"But I don't think this is bad at all; Naruto-San is quite talented! More please!"

"Thanks, Wiz… Here you go."

Naruto said and pushed over the fourth and final bowl over to her without looking. He ended up making quite a bit of ramen that morning and decided to bring the extras to the store for Wiz who was back from her trip. So, they closed the store for a lunch break.

"You sure were hungry… It's like you haven't eaten solid food since you left."

Wiz flinched.

"Y-yes… It was quite a long carriage ride, and I forgot to bring snacks. How careless of me!"

Naruto looked up and narrowed his eyes on the gluttonous girl who suspiciously slowed down.

"I thought you said you couldn't get to that village you went to on a carriage? Don't tell me… Have you not eaten anything since you left?"

Wiz gulped her food down hard before sighing.

"Naruto-San saw right through me, huh… Because the business isn't doing too well, I've been cutting back on things to save money. I've been skipping out on one or ten meals a week…"

Naruto frowned.

'So Wiz's financial situation was that bad, he'd have to think of some ideas fast-'

"Wait, did you say ten!? Wiz, you can't seriously have been starving yourself, have you!?"

Wiz frantically waved her hands dismissively.

"I-it's not a big deal! Honestly! Because I'm a Lich, I won't die even if I starve! Though, I would eventually lose all my flesh…"

That last part unnerved Naruto as he imagined the woman in front of him as a skeleton, but he quickly dismissed the thought and returned to the matter at hand.

"But you still feel hunger, right? The feeling of being hungry all the time… I can't let the kind and honest to a fault Wiz feel like that! Besides, if Wiz's body withers away and turns into a skeleton, how else are we going to attract customers to the store?"

"I appreciate your concern, but are you complimenting or insulting me!?"

Wiz asked with teary eyes.

Naruto laughed at the girl's expression, then stood up and gathered the empty bowls on the table. It was then an idea came to him.

"I know! I'll just bring you ramen for lunch or dinner like I did today!"

Wiz stood up after the blonde made such a generous offer.

"Eh? I can't possibly trouble Naruto-San to do that! You helping me out at the store for free is already too much…"

"It wouldn't be any trouble at all! I've been making too much ramen during my experiments anyway, so I'll just save you some bowls. You get fed, I get to make more ramen, it's a win-win for both of us!"

Naruto said with a wave of his hand. He then walked over to the counter and stashed the bowls on one of the shelves. He'd take them back to his apartment after they closed the shop for the day.

"Honestly… If you keep doing nice things for me like this, I might just misunderstand something…"

Wiz said and lowered her head while twiddling her thumbs, a small smile on her lips.

Naruto tilted his head to the side.

"Misunderstand what? I already told you I'm doing this because I want to help my friend."

"R-right… Of course."

Wiz said and smiled wryly. The shop keeper then sat down at the table as Naruto picked up the broom and started to sweep the entrance.

"Um… Naruto-San? If I may ask… W-why is Naruto-San helping me so much? I haven't done a single thing for you, and please don't say it was because I was nice to you!"

Naruto stopped his sweeping and smiled sadly.

"I guess… Seeing how hard you work for this store really struck home for me. You could have just given up the store when business didn't do so well, but you put your heart and soul into coming up with new plans and ideas. In the end, your debt seems to increase the harder you work, and you're too kind to ask others for help."

Naruto explained before he looked Wiz in the eyes.

"That's why I want to help you with this store. I don't want to see all your hard work go down the drain, just because of some red digits!"

Although those red digits likely came from a little more than bad luck, Naruto kept that to himself.

Wiz averted her gaze by lowering her head again.

"I-I see… Thank you, Naruto-San. I'll be sure to repay you someday."

"You want to repay me? Learn how to make ramen that tastes like Ichiraku ramen!"

Naruto said as a joke but recoiled in surprise when Wiz was suddenly all up in his face with stars in her eyes.

"I don't know what an Ichiraku is, but I'll try my best!"

Naruto laughed nervously and gently pushed the girl out of his personal bubble.

"That sounds great, I'll teach you all I know some other time. But right now, we have more pressing matters to attend to, right?"

"Oh! Yes, of course! I'll go get some of the merchandise I brought back from my trip!"

Wiz exclaimed before running to the back room, then coming back and placing a few items on the table.

Naruto walked over to the table and picked up a scroll.

"What's this?"

"That's a magical scroll that lights up when you read the contents inside! It doesn't require any mana to use it, and it only costs ten-thousand Eris!"

Wiz explained with an excited tone.

"Oh… This one might actually sell well! There are a few dungeons fairly close to town, and people could use this when they go inside-Wait a second… How would they be able to read the scroll if it's too dark inside the dungeon?"

Naruto asked when he realized the flaw of the magical scroll, and Wiz hummed in thought.

"Hm… There is a skill that allows one to see in the dark-"

"It's useless!"

Naruto interrupted Wiz and was about to tear the defective magic item in half when the girl grabbed onto his arms with teary eyes.

"Wait! They could just activate the scroll before they go inside the dungeon! …Although the scroll only lights up for a couple minutes, so by the time they activate it and go inside-Wah! No! It's gonna tear! It's gonna tear!"

* * *

 **Later That Day…**

Kazuma walked through the streets of Axel Town with eyes void of light.

Why you ask?

"You did great distracting those toads, Darkness! Thanks to you, I was able to blast three of them at the same time! We completed our quest two times over, and I even gained a level!"

Megumin exclaimed, who was being carried by Darkness because Kazuma didn't want to be covered in mucus.

"Ah~ The feeling of being covered in the mucus of three different toads is too much…"

Darkness said with a shiver, but the redness in her cheeks and ragged breath gave away her true feelings. Although they were only noticed by Kazuma.

'I was spot on… This girl is a complete masochist.'

Kazuma thought as he watched Megumin and Darkness converse. After they completed their quest, the two hit it off and were getting along quite well. This was trouble for Kazuma because they also got along with Aqua which meant they wouldn't be going anywhere from now on.

He was stuck with these three girls.

Usually, a guy would kill to be in a party with three good looking girls. But not these girls.

Darkness had tossed her sword to the side and jumped in front of all three of those toads that confronted them, claiming she would distract them until Megumin's spell was finished. Then, while Kazuma had somehow managed to retrieve Darkness from the toads, Megumin unleashed her spell.

The explosion drew the attention of more toads, one of which hopped over and ate Megumin since she couldn't move, and Kazuma had to rush over and help her since Darkness was apparently in too much bliss to move.

During that time, Aqua had managed to get herself eaten by a fifth toad and had been crying the whole way home.

"But I was surprised by Megumin's power as well! Who knew this town had an Arch Wizard that wielded such a powerful spell!"

Darkness said, and Megumin was now brimming with confidence.

"We should retake this quest! Next time, I'll incinerate five toads with one spell!"

"No! I don't wanna be eaten by toads anymore! I'm tired of being used as a distraction!"

Aqua wailed and turned to Kazuma.

"Tell them, Kazuma! Tell them why we can't do that quest anymore!"

'She's making me come up with an excuse for her? How annoying…'

Kazuma thought just as they stopped in front of the local bathhouse.

"We'll meet up at the adventurer's guild after you guys wash up. I'll turn in the quest, and we can split the reward when you're all back."

That being said, Kazuma began to slowly make his way towards the adventurer's guild.

"Huh!? You're not going to tell them why!? How useless! I guess it's to be expected by the only one in the party who's not covered in slime. The NEET with the weakest job couldn't do anything other than run away until the last second to steal the kill!"

Aqua claimed and laughed to herself.

Kazuma spun on his heel and blew his top off.

"Are you kidding me!? Who ran away!? You were completely useless this time around! You ran away the moment the toads showed up, and you couldn't even do that right because you got yourself eaten anyway!"

"Huh!? Well, maybe you should have protected your healer better! And you call yourself a gamer? Protecting the healer is the most important rule of a game! Puheeheehee!"

"Why you…!"

Kazuma was about ready to pounce on Aqua but stopped himself when he remembered the girl was covered in toad slime.

Aqua must have realized this and began to laugh at the boy tauntingly.

At this point in time, Darkness and Megumin walked into the bathhouse while continuing their conversation as their other two party members argued.

"Maybe I should have just let Naruto into _my_ party… He may have the adventurer's job class too, but at least he could fight, unlike this useless hiki-NEET."

Aqua said and started laughing again to add extra salt to the wound.

Kazuma growled. That was the last straw, this girl needed to be taught a lesson.

"To hell with the toad slime! Come here, you bitch!"

The angry boy yelled and pounced on the bluenette.

"Wah! Kazuma's finally snapped! Help! W-wait Kazuma! I'm sorry! Please let go of my hagoromo, Kazuma-San!"

Aqua begged when Kazuma began to pry the hagoromo from her person.

"I remember you bragging about how this thing is worth a mountain of Eris! I'm gonna sell it so that I don't have to go through any more life-threatening situations like today ever again!"

"Wahaha~! Stop it! This is the only thing I have left to prove I'm a goddess! Please don't sell it, Kazuma-Sama!"

Just as Kazuma was about to rip the hagoromo from Aqua's grasp, someone walked up to them.

"…Oi."

The two stopped and looked up to see Naruto staring at them with a concerned look on his face.

"What are you two doing, and why is Aqua covered in slime? Did you get eaten again?"

"Yeah, she did, and this girl had the nerve to call me useless-Ah! She escaped!"

Kazuma said when Aqua took advantage of the distraction to break out of his grasp. Kazuma tried to grab her again, but he slipped on the toad mucus and fell on the ground with a thud.

Aqua scrambled to Naruto and grabbed onto his leg for dear life.

"Naruto! Naruto! This man has finally lost control! He was no longer satisfied with sniffing my hair at night in the stables and attacked me! He even claimed he would sell my most valuable possession!"

"Hey, let go! You're covered in slim-Wait, he did what now?"

Naruto said and sent Kazuma a flat look.

"Huh!? Like hell I'd get excited over sniffing this girl's hair! Hah! I don't even see her as a woman! If you've seen her sleeping habits, you would agree with me!"

He didn't deny it.

'I didn't think Kazuma was that kind of guy… I guess you really can't judge a book by its cover.'

"O-oi… Why are you looking at me with such pitiful eyes? You know this woman's personality! She'll take advantage of your kindness whenever she gets a chance, and keep doing it until you have nothing left!"

Kazuma said in a desperate attempt to keep Naruto from siding with Aqua.

"How rude! I haven't used you at all since we came here! Naruto's treated me way better than you have, and he isn't even the one who forced me to come to this world! I should just leave you and form a party with Naruto. Maybe then I'll have a chance at getting home-"

"Huh? No way. Why would I want to form a party with you after you said all those things? That happened yesterday, ya know?"

Naruto said with a straight face, and Aqua faceplanted on the ground.

"Why!? Why can't you just form a party with me! Yesterday you were going to join!"

"Then you said all that dumb stuff about advanced job classes only, so I changed my mind."

Naruto retorted and wiped the slime off his pants. He really needed to get some new clothes…

Aqua gripped her skirt tightly and began to sniffle.

"W-why… *Sniff!* Ever since I was brought to this world, everything and everyone has been against me…! Wah~ Wahaha~!"

'Shoot, maybe I went a little too far… Now's she's crying.'

Naruto thought when the girl at his feet began to cry. With the addition of being covered in slime, Aqua's state was too pitiful.

Kazuma snickered as he watched Aqua ball her eyes out. Divine retribution was sweet.

"Hey, look over there… That girl is crying."

"She's covered in slime. What did those boys do to her?"

"They both have such mean looks in their eyes… Scary!"

Naruto and Kazuma looked at each other with wide eyes widened when they heard the people nearby talking to each other.

"N-no… You got it all wrong! I was just-Hey, Kazuma! You did this, so do something about it!"

"Me!? How is this my fault!? You're the one who made her cry!"

Kazuma shot back when the blame was pinned on him.

"Wahhh! It's like this every day! During the day, I'm followed by this man who has an obsession with me! At night, I can't sleep because I'm worried about the other man doing weird things to me while I'm asleep! What should I do?"

"!" x2

Naruto and Kazuma began to sweat bullets when the stares from the people watching turned into scornful ones. They looked at Aqua and saw the girl had a smug look under her hands as she continued her act.

"Y-you little… Don't think for a second I'm afraid of retaliating from this! Your act won't fool me!"

Kazuma barked with a raised fist, and Aqua's wailing intensified along with the murmuring audience.

"Wahhhhhhh!"

"To yell at a crying girl… How cruel!"

"What scum…"

"Trash!"

"Stop it Kazuma, you're not helping! H-hey, stop crying Aqua! I'll treat you to some neroid juice when we go to the guild? I'm just about to turn in a quest so you can order as much as you want! H-how does that sound?"

Naruto offered in an attempt to make peace with the girl. Being called a delinquent was annoying enough as it was, he didn't want to be downgraded to being called a perverted delinquent!

"Wahhh… *Sniff!* Can I order wine?"

'Th-this girl…!'

Naruto thought with a twitching eyebrow, but strained a smile and nodded.

"Y-yes! Of course! Now, go wash up, and we can go to the adventurer's guild!"

Honestly, it was like he was talking to a child throwing a temper tantrum…

Aqua nodded and picked herself off the ground.

"I guess I'll let you off the hook this time Naruto… But you better talk some sense into that man standing next to you!"

"You seriously think I'll-Mmf!"

Kazuma was about to put the girl who was spouting such ridiculous nonsense in her place when Naruto covered his mouth.

"I will! Enjoy your bath!"

Naruto said, and Aqua happily skipped into the bathhouse to wash the slime off.

Kazuma smacked the blonde's hand from his mouth.

"What are you doing!? You're just falling for that girl's trap again! Listen, Naruto. I've been around that devil in a goddess's skin a lot longer than you have, so I know what I'm talking about when I say Aqua's taking advantage of you! You have to put her in her place before she takes it too far!"

Naruto sent his friend a devilish smile.

"Oh, I know. Which is why I'm going to teach that girl a lesson."

Kazuma grew nervous when he saw this new side of Naruto. His impression of the blonde was that he was an all-around nice guy but had a loud mouth, but this new smile spelled trouble.

"What kind of lesson…?"

Naruto began to rub his hands together, a few chuckles escaping his lips.

"That, my friend, is a secret! Fufufu…"

"Now the delinquent looks like he's plotting something."

"I feel bad for that poor girl…"

Naruto gained a tick-mark on his forehead.

"Who's calling me a delinquent!? I haven't vandalized a single thing in this town!"

"Wah! We made him angry!"

"Run away!"

Kazuma looked at the grumbling Naruto with a mixed expression. Just what did he have planned for Aqua? Naruto was a ninja, and ninjas were assassins…

Should he be worried?

* * *

 **A/N: Next time is the cabbage event and Naruto's revenge!**

 **P.S. Screw Attack is doing Naruto vs. Ichigo! P.M. me if you wish to discuss this! (0_0)**


	9. Divine Retribution

**A/N: Revised: 3/21/19**

* * *

"Waitress! More wine please, and put it on Naruto's tab like usual~!"

The noisy Aqua yelled while slamming the table. This would be her third bottle of expensive wine, and all the money Naruto had earned in his last quest was now gone.

"H-hai!"

The waitress said with a strained smile and rushed off to fetch another bottle of wine, but not before sending Naruto a look that asked if it was really okay to bill him again, and it was apparent why.

Due to the amount of help Naruto had been giving Luna with the durian quests, he had become quite familiar with the rest of the guild's staff.

Naruto just waved the girl off, as this was part of his plan after all. First, he would let Aqua go wild with the wine and let her guard down. Then-

"Hey, are you really okay with this? She's going a little overboard, and that wine is expensive…"

Kazuma asked worriedly, pulling Naruto out of his thoughts.

"That's okay. I promised I'd treat Aqua to whatever she wanted, and I'm a man who doesn't go back on his word. Besides, I have a feeling Aqua's gonna get what's coming to her real soon…"

Naruto responded while adding the last bit quietly so only Kazuma could hear, but Megumin noticed this and looked at Naruto suspiciously.

"I figured you were treating Aqua because you liked her or something, but you have a look that says you're planning something."

"That's rude to make such assumptions, Megumin. Besides, he doesn't seem like the type to take advantage of a woman when she's drunk and bring them home, right Naruto?"

Darkness claimed, smiling with a hint of disappointment in her tone, and Naruto tilted his head.

"Who are you again?"

"!"

Darkness slammed her hands on the table in frustration, her cheeks burning red.

"It's me, Darkness! We met yesterday! You saved me from a silver wolf, remember?"

Naruto laughed at his fellow blonde's outburst.

"Sorry, sorry, I was just joking! I remembered who you were because of your weird name."

"W-weird name? That's how you remembered me?"

Darkness asked, stumped on whether she should be offended or pleased.

"Darkness is a rather strange name."

"Now that you mention it, this may be a fantasy world, but the name Darkness doesn't suit you. Especially because of your bright blonde hair and blue eyes."

Megumin and Kazuma added, and Darkness was now blushing hard.

"Megumin and Kazuma too!? W-what about their names? Their names are strange, and Aqua's named after the goddess worshiped by the Axis cult!"

Darkness said to get the heat off her, and Megumin's eyes started glowing red.

"Oh? Is there something strange about my name? Tell me, I wanna know."

Putting the offended Crimson Magic Clansman aside, Naruto shrugged.

"I guess I don't have any right to say anything since I'm named after a fishcake."

"…" x3

"W-what? You wanna make fun of my name now that you know that? Don't bother, I'm used to it from my childhood!"

Naruto barked when the three of them began to stare at him questioningly.

"Hey, where did Aqua go?"

Kazuma asked when he noticed the bluenette was missing.

They found Aqua standing on top of one of the tables performing party tricks with fans and water. She was encircled by a cheerful crowd.

"That idiot… I still can't believe she spent all her skill points on party tricks."

Kazuma said and shook his head tiredly, prompting Naruto to look at the teen in surprise.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah… Had that girl spent her skill points more wisely, she could have been the most powerful adventurer with her stats."

"That's…"

Naruto looked over at Aqua, who seemed to be having the time of her life. Usually one would think it would be okay to do what you wanted, so long as you're enjoying life. But wasn't her goal to defeat the demon king? Was Aqua thinking she could beat the demon king by dazzling him to death with grand tricks and performances?

No, she probably wasn't thinking at all.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I leveled up twice yesterday, so I was thinking about learning some new skills today."

Kazuma said while looking at his adventurer's card. On the card, it showed that he had a few skill points next to his level. The adventurer job class could learn any skill from the other job classes, so the possibilities were virtually endless.

"Hey Megumin, how many skill points would it take to learn that spell you used yester-Ah! Too close!"

Kazuma was in the middle of asking when Megumin was suddenly all up in his face.

"Kazuma! Do you wish to walk down the path of Explosion magic together!? It would be a long and difficult path for someone with the adventurer class, but I would happily walk by your side the entire way!"

Megumin said with more enthusiasm than one would expect to see when talking about a spell.

"Explosion magic is the most powerful magic known to man, it can harm literally anything! Ghosts, gods, devils… I have no shred of doubt in my mind that it can destroy even the demon king himself!"

"You really like Explosion magic, don't you Megumin?"

Naruto said with a smile. Little by little, this kid was beginning to remind him of himself. The way she talked about Explosion magic was the same as the way he used to boast about becoming the Hokage.

"Of course! If I had to choose between eating three solid meals a day and dessert after the third meal, and eating one passable meal a day and using Explosion magic, I would choose the passable meal and Explosion magic with dessert without hesitating!"

"Hey, your answer doesn't add up correctly."

Kazuma added, and Megumin froze in her stance for a second.

"With that being said-"

"-Oi, don't just continue-"

"-Will you walk down the path of Explosion with me and train to get those fifty skill points?"

Megumin asked while ignoring Kazuma's retort.

"Hey Naruto, have you learned any skills yet? You're an adventurer like me and have probably leveled up a lot, so you've probably learned a few skills by now."

"Me? Hm… The only skill I've learned so far is the cooking skill. I wanted to learn how to make my favorite food, and I heard there was a cooking skill from a friend."

"Favorite food? What kind of food is-"

Megumin grabbed onto Kazuma's shoulder. Hard.

"Oi. Didn't you ask me about Explosion magic? Don't tell me you're getting cold feet."

"I don't think it would be worth my time earning all those skill points for a spell that I'd only be able to use once a day-Ouch! Ouch! L-let go of me! How is your grip so strong!?"

Kazuma painfully said when Megumin tightened her grip on his shoulder.

Megumin then let go of his shoulder and turned to Naruto.

"Naruto! Since this man is too weak-willed to walk down the hard path of learning the spell with absolute power, will you choose to learn Explosion magic!"

"No thanks, I don't really need Explosion magic."

Naruto said while waving his hand dismissively, and Megumin fell to her knees dejectedly.

"N-no… No need, he says…"

Rubbing his now bruising shoulder, Kazuma turned to the last person he could ask for skills. He wasn't really surprised that Naruto had only learned one skill. After all, he had a 'cheat' from the gods. Learning skills to make life easier sounded like the natural thing to do if you already had overwhelming power.

"Hey Darkness, what kind of skills does a Crusader learn? I'm assuming tanky skills and sword techniques?"

Darkness grew flustered when asked about her job class.

"W-well yes, you are correct. Although I spent all my skill points on defensive skills, so there is nothing I could teach you…"

Kazuma sighed.

"…And to think my opinion of you would have risen if you knew would have risen a little bit had you been able to teach me even a single skill."

"Ngh-!"

Darkness held her heart as if she had just been stabbed and fell forward until she had to hold herself up on the table.

"Oh well, I was a little surprised about Naruto, but I was expecting this outcome with my party members. Looks like I'll have to learn a skill from someone else."

"!" x2

This was the final strike, and both Darkness and Megumin grew depressed expressions with a thundercloud raining over their heads.

"The path of Explosion is a lonely path…"

"T-to mercilessly shoot down your own party members is too much… Although this treatment isn't too bad…"

Naruto sweatdropped. He couldn't tell if Kazuma was doing it on purpose, or if this was just his personality.

"Everybody! Drinks on Naruto!"

"Oh!"

Aqua shouted from her spot in the middle of the guild, and her audience roared in celebration.

'Okay, I think she's gone far enough. Now should be a good time…'

Naruto thought and got up from his seat to put an end to Aqua's nonsense.

Kazuma took this as a sign of what they had been talking about earlier and watched the shinobi walk towards Aqua.

"Sorry to rain on everyone's parade, but I can't afford to treat everyone!"

Naruto hollered so that everyone could hear, and the adventurers booed him.

"Come on man, don't be so stingy!"

"Yeah, we know you got the cash! What with all those quests you've been completing by yourself!"

Were the crowd's responses.

"No way! Why would I treat you guys anyway? All you ever do is laze around the guild and cause Luna-Chan trouble! I'll treat you guys if I can go a week without having to do a durian quest."

Naruto fired back, and the other adventurers began to get out of their seats.

"Hah~!? Are you picking a fight with us now?"

An adventurer said before a burly man stepped forward and grabbed Naruto by the collar.

"You may have surprised us last time when you put Dust in the hospital with a single punch, but don't think we'll let you off scott-free for calling us lazy!"

"We should stop this."

"We should fight with him."

Darkness and Megumin said at the same time, then they both looked at each other.

…

Megumin averted her gaze, prompting the knight whisper to her in a hiss.

"You want to fight against all those people!?"

"They're the ones picking a fight with Naruto! Besides, he may not be in our party, but he's Kazuma's friend. Right Kazuma?"

Megumin hissed back and turned to Kazuma, only to find the teen trying to sneak into the crowd to blend in.

"…You were just trying to run away, weren't you?"

This time, it was Kazuma who averted his gaze.

Hey, he was sort of friends with Naruto… Were they even friends? Kazuma was still unsure of this. But one thing he was sure of, was that he would get destroyed if he got involved. Naruto had a 'cheat,' so he could take care of himself.

Darkness shook her head and began to push her way to the middle of the crowd where Naruto was, but it was difficult due to how they were all now circled around the shinobi.

Aqua, who just seemed to grasp the situation, clumsily hopped down from her table and ran over to Naruto.

"Oh Naruto, you're such a jokester! You were just kidding, right? You're gonna treat all these hard-working adventurers to a drink, right?"

Naruto smirked.

"Nope. I'm dead serious."

Just as the burly adventurer growled and moved to punch Naruto in the face, a blinding light shined outside through the windows of the guild.

"W-what is that light!?"

"It's coming from outside!"

As the light began to fade, the adventurers forgot about their anger towards Naruto and ran outside to investigate.

The only ones left in the guild were Naruto, Aqua, Kazuma, Megumin, and Darkness.

"Naruto, are you okay?"

Kazuma asked Naruto as the teen brushed his jacket off.

"Oh, so now you're concerned about your 'friend'?"

Megumin mused, and Kazuma began to sweat.

"A-anyways, let's go see what that light was!"

Kazuma stuttered while running outside, and was shortly followed by Megumin and Darkness.

Naruto turned to Aqua who was still recovering from the flash of light.

"Wanna go check it out?"

At this point in time, they could hear shouts coming from outside.

Aqua rubbed her eyes and blinked a couple times before nodding, and the two walked through the doors.

When Aqua stepped foot outside of the guild, she saw a crowd in the middle of the streets. In the middle of the crowd was…

"…Eh?"

Aqua blinked.

Standing at the center of the crowd was a girl with light blue hair and blue eyes. The woman looked just like Aqua, only she was wearing a frilly blue dress that didn't look like anything made by humans.

"Hey, that girl looks just like you Aqua…"

Naruto said while squinting his eyes to get a better look at the girl that was the center of attention.

"Th-that's… Not possible-"

"Goddess Aqua has descended!"

"I thought the goddess of the Axis cult was a crazy lady, but I was wrong! Forgive my ignorance Aqua-Sama~!"

Aqua started to say something, but her voice was drowned in the crowd's cheering.

The 'goddess' raised a delicate hand, and the crowd immediately quieted down.

"Hello everybody, I bit you a wonderful afternoon. I am Aqua, the goddess of water."

'Aqua' said, and the townsfolk roared with cheers.

Kazuma, who was staring at the woman that looked just like Aqua with wide eyes, turned to the girl he had initially come to this world with.

'Aqua's standing right there in the middle of the crowd, but that shouldn't be possible… I know for a fact that Aqua is the real goddess of water, even if she doesn't act like it… She's standing right there by Naruto… Is this his doing?'

When the cheers died down, the 'goddess' continued.

"My appearance may be rather sudden, but I heard that this town held an Arch Priest that is so devoted to the Axis Cult, that they changed their appearance to look like me. I wanted to meet this Arch Priest in person to express how happy I am to have such a devoted follower."

The woman said in a voice with such sincerity that some of the townsfolk became teary-eyed.

"So that's why Aqua is named after the goddess..."

"I knew she was from the Axis Cult, but this…"

Megumin and Darkness whispered to each other, and Aqua began to tremble.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

Amid the tear-jerking moment, Aqua screamed at the top of her lungs.

'Aqua' took notice of the girl and she clasped her hands together as her face lit up with joy.

"Ah! You must be the devoted Arch Priest! As the goddess of the Axis Cult, it brings me so much joy to see so much devotion-"

"No! No! No!"

Aqua interrupted her doppelganger while stamping her foot in frustration.

"I-is there something wrong?"

'Aqua' asked with an awkward smile as she walked towards the shouting girl. The crowd split apart as she walked, allowing the 'goddess' to walk straight to Aqua.

"Of course there's something wrong! I'm the goddess of water! I'm Aqua! Who are you, you imposter!?"

"Aqua! I realize you have a devotion to the Axis Cult so strong that you have idolized Aqua-Sama to a point beyond religion, but you can't seriously believe you're the goddess herself. Do you!?"

Darkness said while restraining Aqua who tried to pounce on the 'goddess.'

"I'm not pretending to be the goddess, I AM the goddess!"

Aqua shouted as she desperately tried to strangle the imposter, but Darkness' hold on her was firm. She couldn't believe this was happening! Who was this person pretending to be her, and why were all these people believing this liar!?

Some of the adventurers jumped in front of the 'goddess' protectively.

"I'm sorry, Aqua-Sama! This girl is quite unpredictable when riled up!"

"She's known for her fancy party tricks, not her adventuring skills, so she's mostly harmless!"

"Is that how you people see me!?"

Aqua yelled with teary eyes before she went limp in Darkness' arms. Fighting it was pointless. No one believed her, and she couldn't think of a way to-

"I know! If you're really the goddess Aqua, then answer this! Does Eris pad her breasts!"

…

After Aqua asked such an outrageous question out of nowhere a majority of the crowd, who were Eris cultists, looked at the girl with scornful eyes.

The 'goddess' held the same gentle smile.

"Now why would I assume such a thing? Eris is my cute kohai who is loved by most."

"Ahah! I knew it! You really are a faker!"

Aqua claimed with a triumphant look on her face.

"I heard Axis cultists say that about Eris-Sama all the time!"

"They should learn to act more like their goddess! Such kindness!"

Aqua's face dropped when she heard the crowd cheer for her doppelganger again.

"No! Can't you see!? This woman is deceiving you! Darkness, let go of me already!"

"Stop it Aqua! You're taking this too far! Just give it up already! Owowowow! Don't pull on my hair!"

While Aqua and Darkness were struggling against one another, Kazuma looked at Megumin who had been strangely quiet this whole time.

"What do you think about all of this?"

Megumin continued to stare at the 'goddess' who was happily conversing with the townsfolk before she spoke.

"I don't think that's the real goddess of water. I don't sense anything 'holy' about her."

Kazuma nodded, figuring it was something Magumin was sensing about the girl's mana. Since he didn't have any magical talent, he couldn't sense things as well as Megumin who was an Arch Wizard.

"Actually, I think this is Naruto's doing. Aqua's been swindling him, and he was fed up with it and said he was going to 'teach her a lesson.' Though I don't know how he's doing it."

Megumin nodded, and the two looked at the shinobi in question.

"I'm sorry about my friend here, she doesn't know when to stop and tends to take things a little too far."

Naruto said with a cheeky grin and looked at Aqua while saying the last bit.

"That's okay, I'm just happy to see my children have so much energy-mizuru!"

…

"Oops! Looks like my verbal tick slipped… Teehee!"

'Aqua' said and winked at the crowd when everyone went silent.

"What the hell is 'Mizuru' supposed to mean!? Are you even trying to imitate me anymore? This is ridiculous, I don't say anything like that!"

Aqua ranted in rage, her ears burning bright red with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

"Oh!"

"I don't know why, but that sounds really cute!"

"Aqua-Sama is the best!"

"Why!?"

Feeling defeated all over again, Aqua hung loosely in Darkness's hold once more.

"Well then, I have completed my business here. I thank you all for your time, and please treat this child with care… She is one of my precious devotees. I bless you all with crystal clear water!"

'Aqua' said before she jumped from the ground onto the roof of the adventurer's guild, surprising all that were watching because the woman had just effortlessly made a fifty-foot jump.

Then, everyone had to cover their eyes when the girl's form was enveloped in the same dazzling bright light.

Aqua, who wasn't affected by the light due to her goddess vision, saw dozens of hands holding what looked to be pieces of paper over the roof before they disappeared, along with the doppelganger, in clouds of smoke before the light faded away.

"Free cheers for the goddess Aqua-Sama!"

"Thank you for blessing us with your presence!"

"Aqua? Are you okay?"

Darkness asked the limp girl in her arms, but Aqua only murmured to herself.

"Heh heh… It's no use, no one will believe me even if I tell them what I saw… Now I'm going to be remembered as the goddess who says weird things like 'mizuru'…"

"It's okay Aqua, we'll all still accept you for who you are. Even if you're just trying to imitate the goddess Aqua-Sama! Right everyone?"

Naruto said to Aqua while patting her on the back, and the townsfolk cheered in agreement.

Kazuma's mouth dropped; he finally figured out what Naruto's true goal was. He still didn't know how Naruto pulled off the Aqua doppelganger, but what he did was make solid proof that Aqua wasn't the real goddess of water, and made everyone in town believe she was imitating the actual goddess' appearance out of worship.

Aqua, who had tried and failed to get people to realize who she actually was, was now in a position where she could never get people to know the truth. From this day onward, the people of Axel Town, and eventually the entire kingdom, would only see her as a devote worshiper.

It was ironic in a way. Aqua's image as a goddess had been significantly boosted by Naruto, as people said they originally believed that the goddess of the supposedly twisted Axis Cult was probably just as crazy. But now they saw her as a kind and gentle goddess with an odd, but cute verbal tick. The only problem was it wasn't the real Aqua that they would be worshipping, but rather a fake.

Aqua had been completely and utterly destroyed, and there wasn't a single thing she could do about it now.

'Note to self: Do NOT push Naruto too far.'

Kazuma thought and shivered when he thought about what the shinobi could do to him, and he turned to find Megumin trembling as well and assumed she had come to the same conclusion.

As the hype began to dwindle down, the townspeople and eventually the adventurers started going back to their previous activities. The appearance of the goddess Aqua would be the talk of Axel Town for many days to come.

All that was left of the crowd was Naruto, Kazuma, and the girls standing in front of the adventurer's guild.

"Who would have thought we would get to meet one of the goddesses? Ah! I forgot to ask Aqua-Sama to thank Eris-Sama for me!"

Darkness said, oblivious to the truth.

"It's not me… It's not me… It's not me…"

Aqua continued to mumble to herself with dull eyes.

"Well, I'm off to go complete a quest! I'll catch you guys later!"

Naruto said before he disappeared in a "poof!" of smoke.

Seeing this, Aqua's eyes turned into saucers as the light returned to them. That smoke…

"Well what do you know, that guy really is a ninja…"

Kazuma said and stretched. It was only the afternoon, but he was already tired for some reason.

Darkness turned around and pointed towards the guild.

"I feel strangely motivated to take on a quest! Shall we hunt more toads today? Ah, but Aqua said she didn't want to do that quest anymore… What a shame, I wanted to try that new strategy Megumin and I came up with where I distract a dozen toads at the same time, and Megumin blasts us all away with Explosion magic! Nnnn! I wonder if my body would be able to withstand the most powerful spell~?"

Kazuma looked at Megumin, and the girl quickly averted her gaze.

"You want to use Explosion magic on Darkness!? I thought you two were getting along, and you want to sacrifice her for your twisted explosion fetish!?"

"Hey! She said this was the best way to test just how durable she is! I'm not going to let an offer like that go just because of something as weak as human morals! Besides, I thought you didn't even want Darkness in the party!"

"Do you even hear the words coming out of your mouth!? This is Darkness's life we're talking about! She may have a twisted personality, but that doesn't mean I want her dead!"

"Nng! The toad slime was good, but this verbal harassment is also pretty good too!"

"…Let's just go inside."

"Agreed."

Kazuma and Megumin said before looking back at their final member.

"You coming, Aqua?"

"No, that's okay… I'm taking the day off today. See you guys tomorrow."

Aqua said and slowly began to make her way to the stables.

"Is she going to be okay?"

Megumin asked Kazuma, and the boy shrugged.

'She got what was coming to her, but I still feel kinda bad… Hopefully, she learned her lesson and won't try to swindle people into treating her anymore.'

Kazuma thought and walked into the guild with his other two party members. They wouldn't be taking on a quest without their fourth member anyway so they would decide what they would do tomorrow.

* * *

 **The Next Day…**

"Hey, Naruto? Did you hear? They say the goddess Aqua-Sama appeared today! Although I didn't feel any surges of holy magic…"

Wiz chimed as she ate chowed down her noodles. She was sad that Naruto had only brought a single bowl of ramen this time, but she wasn't in any position to complain.

Naruto chuckled as swept the entrance to the store like usual.

"It's true, I saw the goddess with my own eyes."

"Eh~? I would have liked to meet her too, even if her very presence might be enough to purify me…"

Wiz said and placed the empty bowl down.

"Don't say something so ominous with a casual expression…"

Naruto said with a sweatdrop, but that got him thinking. What would happen if Aqua, a goddess(?), met Wiz, who was a lich? He'd have to be careful if the two ever met.

"By the way, why did you buy all the illuminate scrolls? I thought you said they weren't useful in the slightest? Did you perhaps change your mind?"

Wiz asked curiously. When Naruto had been putting the scrolls away after she had stopped him from destroying them, but then he suddenly requested to buy them. Wiz assumed he was just trying to help the store, but Naruto had a serious look on his face, and she eventually caved.

"You were right, Wiz. It seems those scrolls had a use after all! Apparently, you could amplify the brightness by adding your mana to it. With enough mana, just one scroll could theoretically light up an entire town!"

Wiz tilted her head in confusion, but shrugged it off and cleared the table. It didn't matter what Naruto used the scrolls for, so long as she had been able to help him!

* * *

 **A/N: Hope the prank met any expectations you all had!**


	10. Panty and Bra in Hand

**A/N: Revised: 3/21/19**

* * *

 **Stables…**

Aqua yawned as she groggily opened her eyes and looked around as gears in her mind started turning.

 **A/N: Don't be rude, even Aqua has a brain.**

 **B/N: The author lies. She doesn't! Her presence purifies even the brain cells and turns it into a useless mess.**

It was then the events of the previous day came to her.

"AhhhhhhHHHHHHHH!"

So, she screamed.

Which was to be expected considering what had happened to her. Aqua's image as a goddess may have improved, and she could feel her power rising even now, but none of it was because of her own efforts! It was all a big lie!

A big, stupid orange lie!

Aqua jumped to her feet. Now wasn't the time for sleeping! She had to avenge her image as a goddess!

"It's good that you're feeling better, but keep it down Aqua. Unless you want to get yelled at by our neighbors again."

Aqua turned to find Kazuma laying on a pile of hay with his face hidden behind an orange object. It seemed he wasn't really listening to her at all and just wanted to shush the noise. But to see the former shut-in NEET with a book was… strange, to say the least.

"Neh, what's that? I never would have thought that Kazuma would actually pick up a book."

"That's the first thing you say to me even after I waited until the afternoon? How rude. Whatever… It's a book I found yesterday. Since we didn't go on a quest and I had some time to kill, I walked around the town for a bit. I found this interesting book in a corner stall. Apparently, it's pretty infamous, so I decided to buy it."

Kazuma explained with a twitching eyebrow before he placed a piece of straw to mark his spot in the book. He then stood up and placed the object into his back pocket.

Aqua hummed in response, she didn't really care what the book may be about. Knowing that NEET, it was probably just porn.

"But anyway, it's already past noon. The others are probably waiting for us at the adventurer's guild."

Kazuma said and left the stable so Aqua could get dressed since she was still in her pajamas.

After the boy left, Aqua began to undress, all the while plotting her revenge.

* * *

As Kazuma and Aqua walked through the streets of Axel Town, they had a few run-ins with some of the townsfolk. As expected, the appearance of 'goddess Aqua' was the center of talk amongst the people.

"Good afternoon, Aqua-Chan!"

"Thank you for your hard work-mizuru~!"

Kazuma stifled his laughter as the townspeople greeted Aqua. But he was surprised how well kept the girl was acting. He had expected Aqua to blow her top after hearing the odd verbal tick, but she merely smiled cheerfully and waved back.

'While it may not have been intentional, her image as a goddess was improved. Heck, she probably gained more worshipers due to that whole scene yesterday. Maybe she'll start acting more mature from now on.'

After greeting a couple more townsfolk, they walked inside and immediately found the other two colorful members of their party.

"Ah, Kazuma and Aqua are here! Shall we gather our mettle and go hunt us some toads?"

Darkness said rather excitedly.

Aqua gained a look of horror and turned to Kazuma, who shrugged.

Despite Kazuma's disapproval the day before, Darkness and Megumin had ultimately decided to go on the toad hunting quest again.

"Sorry, but they wouldn't take no for an answer. Let's just go-"

"No! I don't wanna hunt toads anymore! I hate the gross feeling of being covered in slime! Don't wanna! Don't wanna! Don't wanna!"

Kazuma gained a bitter look as he watched Aqua throw a fit in the middle of the guild. He was a fool to think this woman would change.

"Well if it isn't Aqua-mizuru~! I didn't think you would show up today-mizuru~!"

The group turned to see Naruto waving at them with a cheeky grin on his face.

Upon hearing the shinobi's voice, Aqua froze in her tantrum.

Kazuma leaned over to Megumin and whispered.

"That guy… Is he seriously trying to pick a fight with her this soon?"

"It seems so… But does Aqua even know it was him?"

The two looked at the bluenette in question and saw a malicious aura radiating from her form, causing them to take a few steps back.

It seems she did.

"What's the matter, Aqua- _Chan_? Ae you dissatisfied with the way the townsfolk are treating you? Must be rough being such a devote follower of the Axis Cult. But at least your efforts have been revealed to everyone-mizuru~!"

Naruto said with a smirk, and Aqua let out a few dark chuckles.

"I'll admit your plan was clever, Naruto… But my god vision saw right through your stupid act…!"

Aqua lunged forward and locked hands with the shinobi, their foreheads bashing together.

Naruto smiled wickedly as he continued to push his forehead against Aqua's.

"I guess you still haven't learned your lesson…! But don't worry, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve!"

"Continue these sinful acts against God, and you shall receive divine retribution…! But if you get on your hands and knees now and apologize, I may just forgive you!"

Aqua responded with a smile that was just as wicked.

Darkness's head turned back and forth between the two, a jumbled look on her face.

"Eh? Why is Aqua fighting with Naruto? Did they have a fight? …H-hey, why are you two staring at me like that?"

Kazuma and Megumin sighed deeply. It seemed Darkness was the only one of their group who didn't know the culprit of yesterday's fiasco was Naruto. Like really, even _Aqua_ knew.

"Looks like our tank is nothing but a meathead who's a glutton for pain…"

"It's okay, Darkness. Just like with Aqua, we'll learn to accept you for who you are."

"Ngh~! What's with you? Although this kind of play isn't all that bad, shouldn't we do something about those two?"

Darkness asked with a flushed face while pointing at Naruto and Aqua.

"Nah, I think it'd be better if we just let them get it out of their system. I still haven't spent my skill points and was thinking of spending them today, maybe I'll do that in the meantime."

Kazuma casually said and waved Darkness off when she looked at him in disbelief.

"Naruto and Aqua really like each other, they're just stubborn."

Megumin added slyly.

This drew Naruto and Aqua's attention, and they pushed away from one another.

"Who would like this selfish brat that causes more trouble than she's worth?"

"Who would like this stalker that likes to transform into his victims?"

Naruto and Aqua said at the same time while pointing at the other, they then glanced at each other before looking away in a huff.

"I-I see now… How could I have not noticed it before? A-anyway! Shall we go hunt some toads-Wah! A-Aqua, don't suddenly jump on me like that!"

Darkness started saying before she was pounced on by an angry Aqua.

As the two girls wrestled, a newcomer walked over to the group.

"Um… What are you doing, Darkness?"

After pinning Aqua onto the floor, Darkness looked up, and her eyes widened when she saw her friend.

"Ah, Chris! T-this is, uh… Aqua suddenly jumped on me and-"

* * *

"I'm Chris, a thief! I'm Darkness's friend. Nice to meet you all!"

Chris said with a friendly wave to the group.

"Nice to meet you too, I'm Kazuma…"

Kazuma said while eyeing the girl for anything suspicious. If this girl was a friend of Darkness, who was an uncivilized masochist, then something might be wrong with her too.

Chris seemed to have noticed Kazuma's intent and quickly stated her business.

"I couldn't help but hear you're looking for skills to learn! Might I suggest some thief skills? They're convenient and don't cost a lot of skill points to learn."

Kazuma rubbed his chin in thought. As an adventurer, he was able to learn any skill so long as he was shown the ability. Having a few thief skills did sound useful, especially compared to the skills his party members were offering…

Naruto squinted his eyes as he stared at Chris.

'I feel like I've seen this girl somewhere… But I just can't put my finger on it. Any ideas, Kurama?'

' **I've got an idea. We 'prank' that self-proclaimed goddess standing next to you by tying her up and throwing her in a river. That way she'd drown in the very element of her title!'**

'Thanks, Kurama...'

It seemed Kurama was still upset about Aqua using Purification spells on him.

Chris squirmed under the shinobi's intense gaze.

"D-do you want to learn thief skills too?"

Naruto blinked when he realized he must have been staring for too long and waved his hands.

"Ah, no sorry! I just feel like I've seen you somewhere-"

"You better watch yourself, this man is a ninja and likes to stalk beautiful women."

Aqua said to Chris while sending the ninja in question scornful looks.

"Eh?"

"I heard rumors about Naruto being a player… I didn't think they were true, but he does get along with the waitresses…"

Naruto panicked when Chris and Megumin took a step away from him.

"D-don't say things that'll cause misunderstandings Aqua! I just thought I've seen Chris somewhere before! That's it!"

"I-Is that so? Then perhaps you've seen me around town?"

Chris said while scratching the scar on her cheek awkwardly.

"Yeah, maybe…"

Naruto said while scratching his whisker marks.

"Ahem! Now then, shall we get back to the conversation at hand? Chris, I'd like to take you up on that offer for those thief skills. What do I owe you?"

Kazuma said when he grew annoyed of the sudden focus on Naruto.

Chris smiled.

"Great! Just buy me a drink, and we'll call it even. After all, Thief skills are really easy to learn."

"Really? Then one drink for the lady please!"

Kazuma shouted to the waitress that was walking nearby. He was short on Eris since they didn't go on a quest the day before, so he was glad the price to learn some new skills was this cheap!

Naruto crossed his arms in thought. Should he ask to learn those thief skills too? His only skill was the cooking skill he learned to make ramen, so it wasn't like he was short on points.

"Hey Chris, mind if I learn those thief skills too?"

"Sure, I don't mind. But you'll have to buy me some expensive wine for making me teach two people at once."

Chris said as she picked up the drink from Kazuma.

"S-seriously?"

Naruto said and considered his deflated wallet. His last prank had been rather expensive…

Seeing the panicked look on the teen's face, Chris winked and stuck her tongue out playfully.

"Just kidding!"

Naruto let out a breath of relief.

'Good thing I don't have to spend the rest of my rame-er, living expenses… But why do I feel like this has happened before?'

As the three walked towards the exit, Kazuma grumbled to himself.

'Why did she only tease Naruto? No, and not just that. What's with that guy? I'm pretty sure Aqua likes him, all the waitresses are friendly with him, and even the head receptionist Onee-Chan is always asking him for help!'

Not that Kazuma really cared all that much, but this was his story in another world damn it! Where was his harem of girls!?

Kazuma looked back at his party. Aqua was currently arguing with Darkness about the toad quest, while Megumin was sneaking the rest of Aqua's food onto her own plate.

…

'I want to go back to Japan…'

* * *

Naruto and Kazuma stood in front of Chris in an alley near the adventurer's guild, she had just finished demonstrating the Hide and Enemy Detection skills.

"This last one is my personal favorite and the most useful in my opinion. I'm going to use you for the demonstration, is that okay with you guys?"

Chris asked, and when the boys nodded their heads, she reached her hand out towards them.

" **Steal! Steal!"**

Naruto and Kazuma shielded their eyes when a flashing light shined from the silver-haired girl's hands.

When the light dimmed down, Chris was revealed to be smirking as she stared at the two pouches of coins in her hands.

"Ah! My wallet!"

Kazuma shouted in surprise while doublechecking his pockets to find them empty.

Naruto felt his person and found that his wallet had been stolen as well, which really surprised him. He didn't even sense it being taken by the skill! The other techniques Chris had shown weren't all that impressive to him, as he was already a master at stealth, and could sense the negative emotion of his enemies via Kurama's chakra. But this Steal skill really stood out to him.

"There you have it! This is the thief skill, Steal. When successful, you can take one of the enemy's possessions at random."

Chris then offered Naruto and Kazuma their bags of coins but stopped just before she was about to drop it in their hands. She soon gained a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Say, why don't we have a little showdown?"

"Showdown?"

Kazuma asked and turned to Naruto, who shrugged.

"You two learn the Steal skill and use it to try and take back your wallets from me. But that's not all you can get, this magic dagger here is easily worth 400,000 Eris!"

Chris said while gesturing to the shiny dagger hanging on her hip.

"Oh! Then don't cry when I steal something important!"

Kazuma declared and pulled out his adventurer's card. Looking at all the skills he could learn, he skipped past the useless Party Tricks skill and found the Thief skills that Chris had taught him.

"One more thing… You also have a chance at winning one of these as a consolation prize!"

Chris said just as Kazuma learned the Steal skill, and the teen's eyes widened.

"Ah! That's dirty! But it's too late to back out now, and this is the kind of thrill I've been waiting for in this world!"

Naruto grinned, he couldn't back out of the showdown now if Kazuma was going in. So, he pulled out his adventurer's card and learned the Steal skill himself.

"Oh, is Naruto-San going to join in as well?"

Chris asked, her mischievous smile growing.

"Of course! Uzumaki Naruto never backs down from a challenge!"

Naruto answered back and outstretched his hand, but not before looking at his friend.

"Ready, Kazuma?"

"Yeah!"

" **Steal!" x2**

* * *

"Ah! There you are Kazuma! Tell this weird woman that we're not going on the toad hunting quest anymore!"

Aqua shouted when she saw Kazuma walk into the guild, who was then followed by Naruto and Chris.

"W-weird? How is it weird that I only wish to go on a quest that our party would excel in? The plan that Megumin and I have created will surely-Hey, are you alright Chris?"

Darkness asked, raising an eyebrow when she noticed the defeated look on her friend's face.

Chris looked away in shame with teary eyes.

"I was completely defeated… When I taught them the Steal skill and challenged him to a showdown, Kazuma stole my panties and said that all the money I had on hand wasn't enough to give them back!"

"Wh-what are you saying all of a sudden!? Although most of what you said is true…"

Kazuma shouted while mumbling the last part before he gulped when all the stares from the female adventurers in the guild turned ice cold.

The three girls turned to Naruto for confirmation, and the shinobi nodded.

"It's true, and this guy was even twirling her panties in the air like a madman. I knew Kazuma was a pervert, but…"

Naruto added while staring at Kazuma with a flat stare of his own.

"Ah! Naruto, you traitor! As a man, you should be on my side at times like this! You even stole Chris's magic dagger that's worth 400,000 Eris and gave it back to her for some reason!"

Kazuma shouted while pointing an accusing finger at the shinobi.

"Of course I did! You were threatening to make her panties a family heirloom, and I felt bad for her!"

Naruto shot back.

"Did he say 400,000 Eris? And he gave it back to her?"

"Such generosity… compared to that other guy."

"Maybe Naruto isn't so bad after all…"

Kazuma frowned when he heard the murmurs of the other adventurers talking about them. What a noisy audience. Who asked them to listen in on their conversation?

"Naruto learned Steal as well?"

Megumin asked, and Naruto grinned widely.

"Yeah! Let me show you what a real Steal can do! **Steal!** "

"Ah, wait! Try it on me-"

Naruto raised his hand towards Megumin and fired off a Steal, and at the same time, Darkness moved in front of the little girl.

…

"Eh? What is this?"

Naruto said when he felt something weird in his hand. It was strangely soft…

"Ngh~! I've misjudged you, Naruto! To think you had this side of you all along! How wonderfully despicable!"

Darkness said with heavy breaths and a deep blush on her face, all while covering her armored chest with her hands.

In Naruto's outstretched hand was Darkness's bra.

"W-wait a minute! This skill is luck based, it's random!"

Naruto said in an attempt to clear his name, but it was too late. The rumors were already spreading throughout the guild like a wildfire.

"Ah, so he really is a pervert too."

"He must have given that girl her dagger back to lower her guard."

"As expected of 'Naruto the player.' "

Kazuma laughed with glee as Naruto began to panic.

"Hahaha! It's too late now, Naruto! Now I'm not the only one!"

"Kazuma and Naruto have been leveling up recently, they must have changed their jobs to pervert."

Megumin said while staring at the two boys flatly.

"What!?"

Kazuma shouted when half the stares circled back to him.

"We better be careful from now on, that hiki-NEET and stalker must have teamed up. I hereby name their allegiance 'The panty and bra thief brothers'!"

Aqua said while sticking her chest out proudly.

'She's proud of that name?'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop before shaking his head when he realized that now wasn't the time for that. If he didn't do something fast, then he would be forever labeled as a pervert in this town! Naruto greatly preferred being called a delinquent over a pervert!

But Naruto never had the chance to redeem himself when a loud voice interrupted them.

" **EMERGENCY QUEST! EMERGENCY QUEST! ALL ADVENTURERS, PLEASE HEAD TO THE FRONT GATES AT ONCE!"**

"Luna-Chan?"

Naruto absentmindedly said as he heard the head receptionist's voice calling out to the adventurers through the guild's magical microphone.

An emergency quest? What could that be?

* * *

 **A/N: Next time is the cabbage hunt!**


	11. Oh My Cabbages!

**A/N: Revised as of 4/1/2019**

* * *

An Emergency Quest is a special event that involved the entire town. All available adventurers are called to meet at the front gate. Everyone would then work together to face the threat.

Naruto stood at the front of the crowd, having gotten to the gates first.

"What's going on? Is the town under attack?"

Kazuma said as he pulled up next to the blonde alongside his party.

"That's right, Kazuma and Naruto don't know. This usually happens around this time of the year."

Aqua said as she cracked her knuckles, seemingly fired up about the sudden emergency quest.

"What? What's happening?"

Kazuma persisted on Aqua explaining more, but the bluenette ignored him and turned to Naruto.

"You! During this event, we'll settle our score once and for all!"

Aqua proclaimed while pointing at the shinobi.

"Oi, Aqua! Don't ignore me!"

As Kazuma tried to regain Aqua's attention, Naruto shrugged.

"I don't mind the competition, but what are we doing? You seem to know what's going on, mind explaining?"

"Since you're in such dire need of help, I guess I can explain what's going on.

Aqua said as she started laughing haughtily.

Naruto's eyebrow twitched, but he held his tongue. He was going to wipe the floor with this girl's pride during their little 'competition'.

"This girl's hopeless… I'm the person who brought her here, she should be explaining this to me!"

Kazuma grumbled to himself as Aqua cleared her throat to begin her explanation.

"Now then, since you have the privilege of the great me explaining everything to you, I'll allow you to treat me to a drink after all of this is over!"

Aqua said with a triumphant grin on her face.

"Guess I'll just go ask Luna-Chan and the others…"

"Ah! I'm sorry! I'll explain it! Let me explain!"

While Aqua was convincing Naruto to stay and listen to her, Darkness moved to the front of the crowd and shoved the tip of her sword into the ground.

"Don't worry everyone, I will protect you!"

Darkness said in a serious voice, but the blush on her face made Kazuma uneasy.

'What's up with her… Hm?'

Kazuma thought when he felt a tug on his sleeve, and he turned around to see Megumin pointing. Looking in the direction she was pointing Kazuma's face paled when he saw Naruto had his back to them. A black piece of cloth was sticking out of the pouch the ninja wore on his waist.

Kazuma quickly looked back at Darkness and found that her blush was increasing, and her breaths were getting heavier.

Due to the sudden announcement of the emergency quest, Naruto had forgotten to return Darkness' bra and had unconsciously placed it in his pouch before running out of the guild before anyone really noticed.

'-And that pervert is enjoying having her underwear on display!'

Kazuma thought as he began to walk over to Naruto, who was listening to Aqua's explanation. He was going to put an end to this stupidity.

"…ing this time of the year is this world's cabbage harvest!"

Just as Kazuma was about to grab the bra from Naruto's pouch, he froze and looked at Aqua. Why was that girl talking about cabbages?

"Cabbages?"

Naruto voiced both his and Kazuma's confusion.

At that moment-

"Here they come!"

"It's gonna be a great harvest this year!"

The other adventurers began to shout excitedly as they pointed off into the distance.

Naruto and Kazuma turned around and saw what looked to be a great green fog flowing down the distant mountains.

But it was not fog.

Taking a closer look, the two boys noticed that the fog was actually hundreds upon thousands of flying cabbages. The army of vegetables were soaring through the air, flapping their leaves like wings.

"This world's cabbages have superior riches, and strong enough mana power to flap their wings and soar through the sky. During the harvesting season, their goal is to fly across the continent to a secluded region away from humans to avoid being eaten."

Aqua explained when she saw the befuddled looks on the boy's faces.

"…Can I go home now?"

Kazuma said as he watched the other adventurers brace themselves for battle.

'I didn't come to another world to fight cabbages!'

He expected Naruto to have a similar reaction, but what he didn't expect was for the blonde shinobi to start laughing.

"Hahaha! Those cabbages have wings and they're flying!? Oh man, I should just get used to seeing stuff like this…"

Naruto said as he held his now aching stomach. He had read about a lot the weird monsters of this world in the book Luna had given him, but he wasn't expecting to see flying vegetables!

"You're not weirded out by this?"

Kazuma asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I'm weirded out by this. I hate vegetables, and flying vegetables can't be any better."

Naruto said and pulled out a kunai from his leg holster.

"Naruto! This will be our final showdown! Whoever catches the most cabbages is the winner, and the loser has to do whatever the winner says!"

Aqua declared while pointing at the ninja, a look of confidence on her face.

"Anything the winner wants, huh? Alright! Then I won't lose!"

Naruto said and smiled mischievously. If he won, he'd make Aqua stay silent for an entire day. If she spoke, then she would have to pay him a fine of 100 Eris for breaking the rule.

'…Why do I get the feeling this isn't going to turn out well for Aqua?'

Kazuma thought as the cabbage army neared the gates of the town. He was debating if he should leave when the guild staff started shouting to get their attention.

"Each cabbage will be worth 10,000 Eris!

Work hard everyone!"

The staff members shouted as they distributed baskets to the cheering adventurers.

"10,000 Eris!?"

Naruto and Kazuma shouted in unison.

"If they're worth that much, then there's no holding back!"

Naruto said charged towards the army of cabbages head-on, surprising a lot of the adventurers.

"Hey, be careful kid! Those cabbages are strong!"

"Do you wanna get pulverized!?"

"…Oi, what's that hanging out of his pocket?"

The adventurers started shouting for Naruto to come back when someone noticed the bra that was hanging from his back pouch.

'Oh no! I forgot about the bra!'

Kazuma thought as he watched the teen shamelessly charge into battle with a bra flailing through the air behind him.

Naruto ignored their shouts and put his fingers into a cross-like fashion. It was time to show these people what Naruto Uzumaki was made of!

" **Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"**

In a 'poof!' of smoke, nine copies of Naruto appeared, making a total of ten Naruto's who were all running towards the army of cabbages. The strange technique surprised everyone, they had never seen an advanced skill that made perfect copies of the user.

Naruto and his clones then clashed with the cabbage army, and everyone was further surprised when they saw how quickly the shinobi hacked away at the vegetables.

'I always forget that guy's a ninja… No, wait! Now's not the time for that! That pervert looks like she's about to burst!'

Kazuma frantically thought as he watched the ninjas dash around chasing cabbages, each complete with a black bra sticking out of their pocket like the original. He could also see Darkness trembling, her breaths ragged. She was clearly enjoying having ten copies of her bra being showcased in front of everyone.

"Ah! That's cheating! Shadow Clones are cheating! I can't use them, so you shouldn't be able to use them!"

Aqua whined as she chased after a cabbage, but it flew through her legs while the girl wasn't looking and caused her to trip.

Naruto laughed at the sight of Aqua falling flat on her butt and complaining. The cabbages weren't too much trouble to incapacitate, just a quick slash at their wings with his kunai and they helplessly fell to the ground. Even now he held five in his arms just by himself.

'50,000 Eris just right here… Imagine all the ramen I'm gonna make with this! Ah, I suppose I should leave some for the other adventurers. They look like they're having a rough time catching these things.'

As the ninja was busy with his thoughts, Darkness could be seen running to the vanguard.

Naruto saw this and immediately caught where she was going.

There were a couple adventurers who had been inspired by Naruto's actions and ventured too far in the enemy lines. They were being bombarded by cabbages and couldn't hold them back.

Just as the adventurers were knocked onto the floor and cried in fear of a final blow, Darkness stood firmly in front of them.

"Go! I'll distract the enemy so you may escape!"

Darkness shouted as she took the full brunt of the attacks.

"B-but, we can't just leave you here-"

One of the adventurers said, but Darkness cut them off.

"Nonsense! It's a Crusader's job to act as a shield foe her comrades! I WANT you to leave me behind and escape!"

"Eeee!"

"T-thank you!"

Not wanting to argue with the female knight, the two adventurers gratefully fled the scene. But this left Darkness in a pinch.

'I threw my sword down to get here faster, not that it would have done anything… Ah~ W-what is this feeling? Not only am I in a helpless situation where I can't move from being attacked by these cabbages, but my underwear is also in display ten-fold for everyone to see!'

Darkness thought with a massive blush on her face. But behind her, all the adventurers saw was a righteous sacrifice.

"Look at that girl, she's sacrificing herself so those guys can escape!"

"What an ideal role model to all Crusaders!"

"Wait, wasn't she the one who had her underwear stolen by Naruto?"

"No way! She's forced to defend herself from the enemy, and the sexual harassment from that delinquent?"

People began to say amongst themselves, but Kazuma wasn't fooled as he could see the familiar look on the girl's face.

'You're wrong! Well, they're right about Naruto stealing her underwear… But She's enjoying every second of this!'

Kazuma thought before he frantically thought of a way to put an end to this madness. He was hopeless in a fight and Darkness looked like she could wait, so he turned his attention towards Naruto. Looking around the battlefield between cabbages and adventurers, he spotted a Naruto dropping some cabbages into a basket.

Aiming his hand towards the blonde, Kazuma clenched his fist and used his newest skill.

" **Steal!"**

Kazuma shouted and suddenly felt a familiar sensation in his right hand.

"Alright, I got-!"

Poof!

"…Eh?"

The bra that Kazuma had stolen from the blonde exploded into smoke, and the teen stared at his empty hand for a second.

'…That wasn't the original Naruto, so the bra disappears if separated from the clone. I'll have to find the original if I want to steal the real bra!'

Kazuma thought and scanned the area again for any sign of the real Naruto. With his current mana reserves, he would only be able to fire off a few more Steals, so he had to get it on this next one.

'That has to be him!'

Kazuma thought when he saw a Naruto standing in the middle of the battlefield. He seemed to be watching Darkness with a look of concern and confusion.

'That guy must not know about the true nature of Darkness. I'll have a good long talk with him later, but first- **Steal**!'

Kazuma reached his hand out again, and this time, the bra didn't disappear.

"Yes! I got the right one!"

Kazuma shouted and waved the bra in the air in celebration.

"Ew… That guy just stole the Crusader's underwear from the delinquent…'

"He's even jumping around in joy…"

"What scum…"

"W-wait! You got it all wrong! I was just…"

Kazuma tried to come up with an excuse, but he was interrupted by a certain Crimson Magic Clansman.

The sight of her friends hogging the spotlight sparked a fire in Megumin. Deciding it was her time to steal the show, she took off her eye patch and made her grand entrance.

"I am Megumin, genius prodigy of the Crimson Magic Clan! My calling is that of an Arch Wizard who wields Explosion magic, the strongest of all offensive magic!"

Megumin announced while flipping her cape for added effect.

'Oh no… not this one too!'

Kazuma thought with a look of dread. If the previous day's events said anything, it would be that this girl would even use Explosion magic on a couple of cabbages.

Mana began to swirl around Megumin's form as magic circles appeared at the tip of her staff.

This caught Naruto's attention, and the ninja looked over to Megumin with wide eyes.

'She's going to use that spell here, with all these people around? Is she insane!?'

As if to answer Naruto's question, Megumin finished her incantation and shouted.

" **Explosion!"**

BOOM!

* * *

 **Later at the Adventurer's Guild…**

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but these cabbages taste great!"

Naruto said as he ate his stir-fried vegetables. All the adventurers who had participated in the emergency quest had received a free plate.

"Why does a simple stir-fry taste so good…?"

Kazuma said with a tired expression as he poked at the vegetables on his plate. He hadn't expected much from the flavor, yet these simple cooked veggies were one of the best tasting things he had eaten since coming to this world. Normally one would be happy about such a thing, but Kazuma was still trying to figure out why he was sent to a world where cabbages could fly.

"Due to its high magical prowess, cabbages are packed with experience points."

Megumin explained as she wolfed down her own free meal.

"Just one plate of stir-fried cabbages can level up a low leveled adventurer. That is why they are worth so much."

Darkness further explained. She was trying her best to polish her worn armor, but it seemed she would have to get it repaired. So right now, she was now wearing a black top and black skirt with matching leggings. One would say she looked like a secretary.

Naruto and Kazuma looked at their adventurer cards.

"Oh, I didn't level up… Maybe I should order another plate?"

Naruto said with a slight frown. Not that it really bothered him, as he had a lot of spare skill points anyway. It was hard to find skills that he couldn't already do with chakra.

"I leveled up twice from all this. What level are you, Naruto?"

Kazuma asked with a raised eyebrow, and the two girls looked up to hear Naruto's answer. It seemed they were curious as well.

"I'm level twenty-four."

"Ehhh!?" x3

Naruto pulled his plate off the table just in time as all three of them spewed out the contents of their mouths. His neroid juice, on the other hand, was not so lucky.

"What are you guys doi-Ah! Kazuma, what you doing!? Stop! I'm gonna drop my plate!"

Naruto began to say when Kazuma suddenly grabbed his jacket and started shaking him violently.

"It's not fair! I worked my ass off in construction from morning to night, and spent sleepless hours in the stables because I'm so broke that I can't afford to stay at an inn, and risked my life to kill a couple of toads onlyto make a little more than manual labor! All of that and I'm only level seven! You cheater! Le me have that power of yours for a week, I'll trade you the useless _thing_ I brought with me!"

While Kazuma was ranting, Megumin and Darkness looked at Naruto in awe. They heard Naruto had only been an adventurer for a short amount of time, but to level up that much so fast was almost unheard of.

"How did you become so strong Naruto?"

Megumin found herself asking. She assumed his leveling came from all the solo hunting Naruto was known for, but she was curious what kind of training he must have had to get to that level of strength.

After subduing Kazuma and putting him in a headlock, Naruto put his plate down on a clean part of the table. He'd have to apologize to the staff for the mess later.

"You want to know how I got this strong? Guts and hard work!"

Naruto said with a grin, and Megumin pounced on the ninja from across the table.

"Are you making fun of me!?"

"Gah! N-no! I'm not making fun of you! What is with you guys right now!?"

As Naruto and Megumin fought, Darkness turned to Aqua who had been strangely quiet.

"Hey Aqua, should we stop them?"

"Shh! I'm praying to myself that I caught more cabbages than Naruto! After I win, and I know I will, because how could the great me lose to a stalker wannabe ninja? Anyways, after I win I'm going to make Naruto join the Axis Cult and have him pray to me three times a day!"

Aqua said while laughing darkly, and Darkness sweatdropped.

"Praying to yourself…?"

"Why do I get the sudden feeling I need to attack Aqua right now… Besides that, Megumin! Because of your spell, my clones disappeared, and I lost almost all of my cabbages!"

Naruto shouted angrily at the girl who was now sitting on his back and pinning him on the ground. What? It's not like he would go all out on a little girl.

Megumin adverted her gaze, causing the ninja to growl out in anger.

After Megumin had unleashed her Explosion, Naruto's clones had dispersed from the blast and the cabbages they had been holding were whisked away. He would have caught more, but the rest of the cabbages had been scared off by the explosion.

Luckily Naruto had already turned in a couple cabbages before the explosion, so it wasn't like he was left empty handed.

'But this girl is acting like nothing happened and it's pissing me off!'

Naruto thought with a tick-mark on his forehead. It seemed there was another member of Kazuma's party who was in dire need of pranking.

Kazuma stared at the ceiling dejectedly from his spot on the floor.

"You know, I was thinking… Maybe I should just leave defeating the demon king to Naruto. He's much better suited to do it than I am."

"What!? Kazuma wants to defeat the demon king!? D-don't give up so easily! Otherwise I might never get the chance to sacrifice myself to let everyone escape and become the demon king's slave!"

Darkness said with a flushed face and a very dangerous look in her eyes.

'This girl is beautiful, but she's hopeless...'

Kazuma thought as he looked up at the blushing Darkness with sad eyes.

"Why is Kazuma staring at me with such pitiful eyes? Is this a new play? I-I don't think I understand but it's sort of making me feel embarrassed…"

Darkness said while holding herself and squirming.

"You know, you are really weird Darkness."

Naruto said with his chin rested on his hand. It seemed Megumin wasn't going to get off him anytime soon, and he wasn't about to throw the girl across the room to get up.

"You can think of a better insult than that Naruto, I can take it."

Darkness said with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"It wasn't an insult! Besides, I like weird people like you! So you should take it as a compliment!"

Naruto blurted out in frustration.

"Eh!? Y-you like me!? To say such a thing so easily in front of everyone… Kazuma's verbal lashings are good, but this sort of play isn't so bad either…!"

Darkness shrieked, her face turning bright red.

"Be careful Darkness, I think you might be on that stalker's hit list now! He might follow you to your house and wait for you to get into the shower before going through your laundry with a lecherous grin on his face!"

Aqua said, and pulled her eye lid down while sticking her tongue out when Naruto glared at her.

"Do you think he really would?"

Darkness said with a massive blush, a hidden look of expectation flashing in her eyes.

"Heh~? That's 'Naruto the creep' for you."

Megumin said while looking down at Naruto with a flat look.

"Are people calling me that!? Also, Aqua! Stop calling me a stalker! You're giving people the wrong idea about me! Help me out here Kazuma!"

Naruto yelled and looked to his only male friend in this world for help.

Kazuma sighed.

'Looks like this is going to be a reoccurring thing from now on…'

* * *

 **A/N: Explosion!**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed the cabbage hunt!**

 **Shout out to my new beta Aicidash for making this chapter sparkly clean! XD**

 **See ya next time!**


	12. The Dense Ninja of Axel

**A/N: Revised as of 4/1/2019**

* * *

"So that's what the fuss was about yesterday! The cabbage harvesting quest, huh? Brings back memories…"

Wiz said fondly as she thought back on her adventuring days.

It was just past noon and Wiz was sitting at the table drinking tea, having eaten the meal Naruto had brought her while the blonde swept the store. Right after noon was usually their slowest hour, so they took the time off for a lunch/sweeping break.

"Yup. I wasn't able to catch as many as I wanted to for various reasons… But I managed to keep enough to make a decent sum. Wiz is an adventurer too, right? Why didn't you come out and catch a few cabbages?"

Naruto asked as he swept the dirt he had collected outside the front door.

" _Retired_ adventurer."

Wiz corrected and took a sip of her tea, a blissful expression on her face. She didn't know if it was because she had been starving herself, but Wiz was beginning to get addicted to the ramen Naruto made. It was becoming the one of the things she looked forward to the most every day.

"Retired… But Wiz is a lich now, and a lich is super powerful right? You could use that power to help people and fight the demon king! Not to mention you would make a lot more money that way…"

Naruto said, throwing his hands into the air to emphasize his statement.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that last part. But there is a very good reason why I retired as an adventurer…"

Wiz said, but seemed hesitant to continue.

Naruto noticed this, but he decided not to press. Wiz had her reasons, and Naruto would respect that and wait for her to open up to him. After all, they had only known each other for a short amount of time.

"Well, I think I'm gonna head out to the adventurer's guild. Maybe they're giving out the rewards for the cabbage hunt today!"

Naruto said and took off his cleaner's apron, then placed it and the broom in the corner of the store. The guild staff had said it would take a couple days to gather the reward money for all the adventurers due to the large reward sums.

"Ah! I'll show you out! I'm going to be closing the store early today, so you don't have to stop by tonight."

Wiz said and rushed to the entrance of the store, opening it for her friend/coworker.

"Okay, I'll see ya tomorrow Wiz!"

Naruto said with a foxlike grin before he left the store.

"Bye Naruto-San, and thank you again for the meal!"

Wiz called out and bowed low, prompting the teen blush and quickly tell her to stop when the people outside started whispering amongst themselves.

When Naruto took off running, Wiz giggled to herself and switched the store's sign to open before walking back inside.

"I'll tell him tomorrow for sure!"

Wiz said with a determined expression, but that determination quickly faded.

Naruto was an adventurer who was adamant on defeating the demon king. What would he say if she told him she was a general of the demon king's army?

Would he hate her? Would he turn her in?

Wiz shook her head.

"No! Naruto-San isn't that kind of person! He'll understand for sure!"

…

"I hope…"

* * *

Naruto walked down the streets of Axel with his arms rested behind his head. After that scene with Wiz in the front of the store, he had accidently run off in the opposite direction of the guild.

'That's weird… Is it just me, or are people looking at me funny?'

Naruto thought when he noticed some of the townsfolk looking at him coldly or adverting their gazes. They weren't hateful looks of disgust like the villagers used to give him back in Konoha, but it was starting to annoy him.

Right when he was about to walk over to some people and ask, Naruto saw a mop of blonde hair sticking out of an alleyway. It was a boy, he was gesturing for Naruto follow him.

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto shrugged and followed the boy into the alleyway. He had time to kill anyway.

Just as Naruto turned the corner, he found a blonde-haired boy sitting on a crate with his hand raised.

"Yo, boss Naruto!"

…Boss?

"Do I know you?"

Naruto asked flatly. But he had to admit, something about this guy felt familiar. He just couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"W-what? You don't-No… That's okay. I'm Dust, the delinquent adventurer of Axel Town! I'm the guy you put in the Church of Eris to heal a week!"

The now named Dust said and gave Naruto a thumbs up.

"Oh yeah, I remember you now! Why did you attack me again? You just suddenly jumped on me when I was asking a quest…"

"I got mad because Boss Naruto was flirting with Luna-Chan, but that doesn't matter anymore! After I got kicked out of the church when the priests healed me, I was plotting my revenge when I heard some rumors. People are talking about you, boss. In fact, as of yesterday, boss is the talk of the whole town! That show boss Naruto put on during the cabbage harvest was great!"

Dust exclaimed with stars in his eyes.

"Oi. You just said revenge, didn't you? Anyway, don't call me boss or people will get the wrong idea about me!"

Naruto said before his eyes widened in realization. If people saw him hanging around Dust, who shamelessly called himself a delinquent adventurer, then he really would look like a delinquent!

"Although I say that, I didn't actually get to see the act in person. I was too busy spending that day in jail."

Dust said while Naruto was looking outside the alleyway to see if anyone was watching.

"…You spent the day you got out of the hospital in jail?"

Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow. He didn't feel bad about putting the guy in the hospital, since Dust had been the one who started the fight. But getting thrown in jail after leaving a hospital was a bit much, wasn't it?

"Sure did. I didn't want to leave the Eris church because the cute priestess hand fed me the first couple days since I couldn't move. They said I was free to go on the fourth day so I convinced them to let me stay longer to heal. But when they kicked me out on the seventh day, I learned the cabbage hunt had ended so I wasn't able to pay the tab I built at the adventurer's guild. So, I did the only thing I could… I dined and dashed and let myself get caught by the police! That way I didn't have to pay for lunch, and I got a free place to stay for the night! The police even fed me dinner!"

Dust said with look of pride.

Naruto's jaw dropped. This man had willfully forced his stay at a church even after he was healed, was kicked out when they were fed up with him, and then stole food and took advantage of the law system to get two free meals and a place to stay for the night, all to avoid paying.

'This guy's hopeless… How he convinced those Eris cultists to let him stay longer is beyond me. No, wait. I gotta get out of here before people see me with this guy or they'll brand me a delinquent forever!'

Having thought that, Naruto took one final look to see if the coast was clear before turning back to Dust.

"Well good luck with your tab, but I gotta go on a quest! See ya!"

Naruto said and took off running down the street.

"Ah! I still didn't get to tell you everything! Oh well, I'll tell ya later Boss Naruto!"

Dust shouted after the ninja, and Naruto almost tripped on his footsteps.

"Stop calling me that!"

* * *

Naruto sighed as he found himself walking down the streets of Axel once again, only this time, the adventurer's guild was just around the corner.

'Dust, huh? I can't help but feel that isn't the first time he's stayed in a jail cell for a meal. This town sure is full of weirdos…'

Naruto thought as he turned the corner, and he found a familiar group of adventurers arguing in front of the guild.

"Don't wanna! Don't wanna! I don't wanna hunt toads anymore!"

Aqua was currently throwing a tantrum on the floor without any regards to who might be watching. It was very hard to believe that girl was a goddess.

"But we still haven't tried the plan Megumin and I came up with!"

Darkness said and thought about getting hit by Explosion magic again, which caused her to tremble in anticipation.

"Actually, I don't want to hunt toads anymore either…"

Megumin said with her hand raised timidly, and Darkness looked at the girl with eye full of betrayal.

"Then it's settled, we'll do something else. Besides, you don't have your armor yet. We'll do another quest in the meantime."

Kazuma said while creasing the bridge of his nose, and Darkness slouched in defeat.

"Exactly! Even Kazuma knows my talents are wasted on that kill quest! You have the great me in this party, so there has to be a better quest we can do that is better suited for me!"

Aqua boasted and quickly ran into the guild to search the quest board.

Taking this as his que, Naruto walked over to the group and waved.

"Hey guys, I figured you would all be doing a quest by now. You weren't arguing this whole time, were you?"

Naruto said half-jokingly with a laugh, only for the laugh to die in his throat when he saw the agitated look in Kazuma's eyes.

"S-seriously…?"

"Darkness wants to go hunt for toads because she wants to get covered in slime again, but Aqua and Megumin are traumatized from being eaten and want to do something else. They've been arguing about it for an hour straight…"

Kazuma said while rubbing his head irritably.

Naruto looked at Darkness with a raised eyebrow, only to see the girl to advert her gaze.

"Weird… Well, good luck with that. I'm gonna go see if Luna-Chan has any quests for me… What is it, Megumin?"

Naruto said when Megumin suddenly poked his chest with her staff.

"I've been thinking of how Naruto became so strong, and I have concluded that it must be the demon sealed inside of you! Your demonic pact may have granted you great strength, but I have confidence you are no match for the most powerful magic known to man! Explosion Magic!"

' **I've said it once, and I'll say it again. This brat's got spunk. I wish to see the defeated look on her face when we show her what real power is.'**

Kurama said with a dark chuckle.

'She's just a kid Kurama… Don't be so sadistic.'

Naruto thought back and his response was a low-pitched grunt.

' **She is older than you were when you first used my power, brat.'**

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Megumin poked him again with her staff impatiently.

"Ah, sorry. Kurama was just saying he'd like to challenge your Explosion magic sometime."

Megumin's eyes glowed in excitement and she flipped her cape.

"Then tell your demon this! I am Megumin! Arch Wizard of the Crimson Magic Clan, wielder of Explosion magic! Tell him that I hereby accept your challenge!"

"That's okay, he can hear you."

Naruto said while scratching his cheek awkwardly.

"Wait, the demon inside you can hear us, and you were just talking with it? How do you sleep at night?"

Kazuma asked nervously. The thought of sharing a body and hearing a demonic voice in his head at any given moment was unnerving.

"Kurama's not so bad. I mean, he used to try and take over my body all the time and threatened to kill me every time we spoke. But we're friends now!"

Naruto said and laughed heartily, and he heard a snort in the back of his mind.

"That's not something to laugh about!"

Kazuma retorted while shivering slightly.

"Living every day in a constant battle for your body… That sounds rather good."

Darkness said, a blush growing on her face.

"No, it doesn't! Take your deluded fantasies somewhere else you ero-knight!"

Kazuma retorted heatedly a second time.

"Guh! Y-you really don't hold back Kazuma! But that's precisely why I joined this party!"

Darkness said while holding back a shudder.

Naruto chuckled as he watched the group's antics. Hanging out with Kazuma and the others was stressful at times, but it was fun. The only thing that kept him away from joining their party was Aqua, and he would only join if she took back what she said about him.

"Well, I'm gonna go take on my daily quest now so I'll talk to you guys later."

Naruto said and walked past the group towards the guild, but just as he reached the entrance the doors suddenly burst open and Aqua came running out. Naruto's eyes widened, and he caught the girl in his arms when she crashed into him.

Aqua blinked in a daze and looked up to see Naruto staring at her with an amused smile.

"Are you okay? You should be a little more careful, ya know?"

"Y-yes…"

Aqua said in a small voice, her face blushing.

Naruto found himself blushing as well.

'This girl really is pretty when she's not acting like a child…'

Aqua's eyes suddenly shot open and she squirmed out of the blonde's grasp.

"I-I almost fell for your trap again, you demon stalker! But the great me isn't so easily swayed!"

"Huh!? What are you talking about? Is that any way to talk to the person that you almost ran into!?"

Naruto shouted angrily. Honestly, this girl never changed!

Aqua's response was her sticking out her tongue before she ran off to her party members, who were all watching the scene and snickering much to her annoyance.

' **Just give me control for a couple seconds… I'll make her death last only a few hours.'**

Kurama's voice seeped in the back of Naruto's mind.

'A few hours!? You want to torture her!? No way I'm giving you control!'

Naruto thought before walking into the guild and towards the reception desk, now in a sour mood.

There was a line to see Luna, but everyone immediately moved out of the way when they saw Naruto's angry form stomping towards them.

"Luna-Chan!"

"H-hai!"

Luna squeaked in surprise when Naruto seemingly came out of nowhere and called for her so forcefully.

"Give me a hard quest! I want a challenge!"

Naruto ended up venting his anger on boss-type monster that day, along with the surrounding forest.

* * *

 **The Next Morning…**

Naruto yawned as he walked to Wiz's store early in the morning.

'I slept like a rock last night! It's been awhile since I let loose like that!'

' **Let's just hope they don't track the damage to the forest back to us, not that I would mind having to go against the authorities. That way we could crush not just the demon king's army, but the royal army as well.'**

'Of course you would want to start a three-way war Kurama…'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop as he walked up the short steps to the shop. He was about to open the door when he heard voices inside, one of which sounded distressed.

"Filthy lich, you thought you could hide in this town unnoticed? Too bad you didn't know I was living here as well!"

"W-wait! I'm not causing any harm, I promise! I love humans!"

"Lies! Liches are high class devils who feed on the souls of humans! They also raise the dead to worship them like some sort of erotic play!"

"I've done no such thing! N-no! Don't purify me! I'll disappear! I'm disappearing~!"

Naruto's eyes widened when he recognized Wiz's voice and he burst through the door.

"Wiz!"

"Ouch!"

"!" x4

…

Naruto blinked when he saw a transparent Wiz sitting down on a chair, and Aqua holding her head in pain. Standing next to Aqua was Kazuma, who was holding the hilt of his sword above Aqua's head. He also saw Megumin and Darkness staring at him in surprise.

"N-Naruto… San."

Naruto's attention was pulled back to Wiz when she called out his name weakly.

"Ah, Wiz! Are you okay!? Speak to me!"

The shinobi rushed over to Wiz and said while looking over her body for visible wounds, but it was hard to tell because her form was becoming more and more see though.

"I… I need…"

Wiz began to say as she reached for Naruto's face, and he gently grabbed her hands and guided them to his cheeks.

"W-what do you need…?"

Naruto said as he began to feel tear welling up in his eyes. He had no idea what was happening, but Wiz was disappearing. One of the few people he could call a friend in this world was disappearing and there was nothing he could do about it!

"Mana."

"GYAAHHHH!?"

* * *

After Wiz apologized numerous times and explained the situation, Naruto looked back from the corner he was sulking in.

"I thought Wiz was dying… and I forgot about your Drain Touch. Again."

Naruto said, and Wiz bowed her head again frantically.

"I'm really sorry!"

Apparently, Wiz had been going out into the town's graveyard every other night to put the restless souls to rest. Due to lack of funding, none of the priests in the town were performing memorial services for the dead.

But the work Wiz had been doing wasn't enough and the adventurer's guild had received complaints about undead in the cemetery, and so the quest that Kazuma's party had accepted was created.

Last night, Wiz had been sending the restless souls to heaven when Kazuma and the others had showed up and found her. Aqua, being the demon hater that she was, had attacked Wiz and almost purified her. Luckily, Kazuma stopped her before she could do any lethal damage. After that, Wiz had brought them all back to her shop where Aqua attacked her again, and Kazuma stopped her a second time.

That was when Naruto showed up and the rest is history.

"But the thing I'm most surprised about is Wiz being a general of the demon king. You should have told me sooner!"

"B-but I was worried Naruto-San would hate me! After all, Naruto-San is an adventurer who wants to defeat the demon king!"

"Why would I hate you? You're only acting as a general who maintains part of the barrier so the demon king army doesn't attack civilians."

Naruto said with a shrug, and Wiz visibly relaxed. It was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"I remember Naruto said something about having a part time job, but I didn't think it was here… Did you know she was a lich?"

Kazuma asked, and Naruto nodded.

"I met Wiz at the cemetery like you guys, and ended up working here because the store isn't doing so well, although I don't get paid… But this girl really is hopeless. She would probably starve herself and become a walking skeleton to save money, so I bring her lunch every day."

Naruto said, causing Wiz sputter out more apologies.

"Wait, you don't get paid for working here AND you feed her? Why?"

Kazuma asked with raised eyebrows, and everyone else nodded. Why would someone go to that much trouble for someone they just met?

Naruto scratched his whisker marks awkwardly.

"Because Wiz is one of the first people that I've met in this town who is truly working hard for something that she cares for. I just wanted to help her out, ya know?"

'Ah, I can see that…'

Kazuma thought with a sweatdrop. From corrupt priests who only cared about money, to adventurers who only did easy quests that paid well, this town of beginners was full of people like that. Even Kazuma found himself planning to give up on fighting the demon king and live a peaceful life. To someone who was as earnest as Naruto, of course he would want to help someone like Wiz.

"Naruto-San…"

Wiz said with teary eyes.

"G-geez… Look what you guys are making me say again."

Naruto stuttered while crossing his arms in a huff, and Wiz giggled while wiping the tears from her eyes.

Kazuma, Megumin, and Darkness all grinned at the scene in front of them. This really was a touching moment of friendship.

But someone couldn't read the mood.

"Ah! I figured it out! He's trying to seduce her with kindness! Filthy lich and demon stalker… They deserve each other! Move aside Kazuma, I'll purify them both here and now-It hurts!"

Aqua cried out in pain when Kazuma smacked her on the head with the hilt of his sword for a third time.

"Seriously, you can't read the mood Aqua. But I'm surprised, I didn't expect you to be such a sly dog Naruto! I'm jealous! …No seriously, I'm really jealous."

Kazuma said while nudging Naruto in the side hard. Again, it was only Naruto! Kazuma was fine with Aqua; he didn't even see that fake goddess as a woman. But this time it was a beautiful Onee-San with big breasts!

"What are you talking about?"

Naruto asked while rubbing his side. Kazuma really dug his elbow into his ribs…

Kazuma glanced at Megumin and Darkness, and they shrugged.

'Wait, I think I know what's going on here.'

Kazuma thought and turned back to the shinobi.

"Let me get this straight… Wiz is only your _friend_?"

"Huh? Of course Wiz is my friend."

Naruto said while looking at the boy strangely.

'Yup. This guy's hopeless.'

Kazuma thought and turned to Wiz, who looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"My condolences."

"Eh? N-no! It's okay…"

Wiz said while waving her hands frantically, and Naruto looked between the two while tilting his head cluelessly.

"O-one sided feelings… I wonder what that feels like?"

Darkness said while starting at Wiz and Naruto with envy.

"So Naruto is the strong and dense type, huh? Complete opposite of Kazuma."

Megumin said while nodding to herself.

"Oi, are you calling me weak? Don't think I'm about to take crap from a little girl. Step outside with me and I'll show you how weak I am."

Kazuma said and began to bicker with the Crimson Magic Clansman.

"If you say you're a decent person, then why haven't I been served tea yet?"

Aqua said and sat down at the table with an expectant look on her face.

"I-I'm sorry! I'll go brew some tea right away!"

Wiz said and ran off to the back of the store.

While everyone was talking and laughing amongst themselves, a tick-mark formed on Naruto's forehead.

"Why do I get the feeling you're all making fun of me? Also, Wiz! Why are you serving tea to the person that almost killed you!?"

* * *

 **A/N: You wanted some Wiz, there you guys go! ^^**

 **P.S. That Naruto vs Ichigo Death Battle though… 0_0**


	13. Soft Banned

**A/N: Revised as of 4/1/2019**

* * *

'Hm… That's weird. I could have sworn there were harder quest on the board.'

Naruto thought as his eyes darted across the quest board for a challenging looking quest. He also noticed a lack of easy quests on the board as well.

Not that he was in dire need of money, as the payment from the cabbage hunt had been passed out earlier that day. Naruto had earned about five-hundred thousand Eris with the cabbages he had managed to stash away before Megumin's Explosion magic hit.

'I haven't seen Aqua yet today, but it didn't look like she caught much…'

Naruto thought before going back to his search.

"Slay a One-Shot Bear. Nah, too easy. Investigate dirty lake. Can't do that since it requires a priest… Dang, what happened to that one hard sounding quest?"

Turning on his heal, Naruto walked towards the reception desks.

Luna, who was cleaning desks, noticed the ninja walking towards her and smiled.

"Good afternoon, Naruto-San. How can I help you?"

"Where's that one really hard quest? You know, the one with the two monsters fighting and causing trouble? I could have sworn there was a hard quest like that on the board the other day, and now I can't find it so there's nothing good."

Naruto said while pointing at the quest board.

"U-um… That quest is actually for large parties only, and since no one was taking it I took it down for the time being."

Luna said while adverting her gaze awkwardly.

Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Something didn't feel right about this.

"That's okay, cause I'm a one-man army. Since no one else is accepting that quest, and I'm bored, let me take it!"

"W-well… This is a very difficult quest for someone to take on alone. If Naruto-San formed a party, it would be a different story but…"

"What are you saying? I can easily complete this quest by myself! Come on, let me accept the quest!"

"No! If something were to happen to Naruto-San because I let you take on another difficult quest by yourself, it would be on my conscious for the rest of my life!"

Luna yelled, before she blushed when she realized she unintentionally raised her voice.

"Aw, are you worried about me Luna-Chan? You don't have to worry though, I can take care of myself! So let me go on that hard quest!"

Naruto said with a cheeky grin on his face, he wouldn't fall for that trick again.

"No."

Luna flatly said, causing the shinobi to fall on his face. Was she talking about him, or the quest?

"T-that's cruel… But why!? There's nothing else on the board that looks like a challenge! Fighting two giant monsters sounds fun!"

Naruto shouted after getting back up, stomping his foot to emphasize his frustration.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let a rookie adventurer, capable as they may seem to be, to go on a difficult quest such as this all by themselves. If you want to take on this quest, then please form a party."

Luna apologized in a professional manner.

"Come on…"

Naruto said and slumped onto the desk dejectedly.

"I'm sorry, but if something were to happen to Naruto-San, then who I count on when I'm in trouble?"

Luna said with a wink, prompting the shinobi to blush.

"W-well, I guess I can do another quest for now… Wait a second! Is that what I am to you!? Someone you can throw your durian quests at!?"

Naruto shouted angrily, only grind his teeth when Luna stuck his tongue out playfully. Seeing as he wasn't getting anywhere, Naruto walked back to the quest board and tore off one of the papers. Walking back to Luna, he placed the paper on the desk with a thud.

"Consider this One-Shot Bear dead!"

* * *

 **Later That Day…**

"So bored…"

Naruto said with his head rested on the table.

"Why don't you go on a quest? Naruto is strong, so you should be able to do one of those harder quests by yourself."

Megumin said while poking the shinobi's whisker marks. She would never say it aloud, but Naruto's whisker marks were really cool and made her want to touch them.

"I did, but it was too easy. One blow to the head and the One-Shot Bear died…"

Naruto said and let out an annoyed huff. If only Luna would just let him go on that fun sounding quest with the Griffon and Manticore. Maybe he would ask Kazuma and the others if they wanted to go with him?

'This guy killed a monster with a dangerous name like One-Shot Bear, and he's complaining!?'

Kazuma thought and fought the urge to strangle the ninja. He was struggling to get by every day, freezing to death in the stables with a useless former what's-it-called, and Naruto dared to complain about not finding a challenge in the beginner's town!?

Speaking of Aqua-

"Why is it so little!?"

"I-I'm sorry, but you had some lettuce mixed in with your catch…"

"How did lettuce get in there!?"

Aqua whaled as she held Luna by the collar and shook her violently.

'If only I hadn't picked Aqua as the _thing_ I could bring to this world.'

Kazuma thought as he watched Aqua walk towards their table with a cute smile on her face.

"H-hey, Naruto-San~? How much money did you make during the cabbage harvest~?"

Aqua asked the ninja in an overly cute voice.

"Five-hundred."

Naruto said without looking up, and Aqua jumped for joy.

"Yes! I won the showdown! I knew I would-"

"Thousand."

Naruto cut in with a smirk, and all three girls looked at him in surprise.

"Half a million!?"

"Imagine what he could have made if my Explosion hadn't destroyed those clones…"

Darkness and Megumin said with awed expressions.

Aqua's face paled as Naruto stood up, his form towering over her menacingly.

"Now then... About our little agreement. I was thinking…"

Naruto said with a cruel expression and rubbed his hands together much like a villain did before they were about to tell a hero their evil plan.

"N-noooo~! This man is going to take advantage of our competition and have his way with my godly figure!"

Aqua cried and hugged herself while squirming helplessly under the shinobi's penetrating gaze.

"Wh-what? No! I wasn't going to do anything like that at all… I swear, I wasn't!"

Naruto frantically said when the stares around him turned ice cold.

"G-guh…! Naruto! I challenge you to a showdown! The loser has to do anything the winner says!"

Darkness said in a serious voice, but the dangerous look in her eyes and deep blush on her face was enough for Kazuma to see right through her true intensions.

"What are you hoping to achieve by throwing that showdown away? You know as well as I do that Naruto doesn't have the guts to make you girls to anything like that."

"Th-that's true…"

"I'm right here, ya know…"

Naruto said with a twitching eyebrow.

"A-are you really not going to make me do anything humiliating?"

Aqua asked while looking up at the shinobi with puppy dog eyes and a quivering lip, and Naruto had to admit that her performances were getting better.

"No, I'm not. What I want is for you to admit you were wrong and apologize for rudely calling me a demon and a stalker."

Naruto said with a smirk and expected the bluenette to complain again. In the time he had come to know Aqua, he learned that she was stubborn as a mule and would never live it down if she had to admit she was wrong.

"Oh, is that it? That's easy! It was my bad for not realizing the filthy demon stench I sensed was a demon sealed inside you! But I can't be at fault for calling you a stalker, you were following me to do research for that little performance after all! But I'll be willing to forgive you if you apologize and treat me to that special wine the guild serves!"

Aqua chirped with a bright smile, and Naruto face-faulted.

"Y-you apologized? No wait-Why do you always make me treat you, and why am I the one that's supposed to apologize!?"

Naruto said as he struggled to recover, and he heard the low grumbling sound of giant teeth grinding in the back of his mind.

' **Naruto… My hatred for this false goddess has reached a new level… Give me the reigns, it will all be over in a couple seconds.'**

'C-calm down, Kurama!'

While Naruto attempted to calm the tailed beast down, Aqua turned to the other boy in the group.

"Kazuma-San~? How much money did you make during the cabbage harvest? You see, there's a tab I built up recently… H-hey, Kazuma-San? Why are you looking at me like that? Are you thinking about lending me some money?"

Aqua said nervously when the boy in question looked at her scornfully.

"No. I was just thinking of the kind of life I could be living if I had chosen to bring something useful on my adventurer."

Kazuma said harshly, causing Aqua to flinch. But he wasn't done there. Far from it.

"I wish I could go back and slap myself in the face for choosing to bring such a useless item. I could have been strong like Naruto, and sleep in an actual bed without having to worry about freezing to death every night! But most importantly, I could have had my own harem of girls with good personalities! Instead I have a priest that's only good for her party tricks, a mage that can only use their spell in open areas once a day, and a perverted knight who wields a sword for show! Who asked for these problem children!?"

"!" x3

Not just Aqua, but Megumin and Darkness were surprised by Kazuma's sudden rant.

"H-h-how dare you! Saying such things when you were the one that forced me to come here in the first place! You should be ashamed of making the great me sleep in a stable! Apologize! Apologize for not spoiling me like you should have been doing this entire time!"

Aqua shouted back, only to quiver in fear when Kazuma focused his attention back on her.

"Apologize? I'll apologize when you actually do something useful for a change! All you've done so far is get eaten by toads and complain about not having any money! Why don't you use those party tricks to earn us some cash, huh? Or better yet, teach me your healing techniques already!"

"Nooooo! Don't take away my only means of existing! Please, Kazuma-Sama!"

Aqua cried out in dismay and almost tackled Kazuma in her apology.

"How dare you mock the greatest offensive skill that is Explosion magic! The path of Explosion is a hard one, but this is the life that I chose! I refuse to learn other magics! I live for Explosion magic!"

Megumin said while pointing her staff at Kazuma, who was currently shaking the crying Aqua from his leg.

"If you're not going to learn any other magic, then you can carry our luggage like you said you would when you first joined the party. I think I also remember you saying you don't need reward money either, so long as we fed you-"

Kazuma said, but was interrupted when Megumin grabbed onto his other leg.

"Ah! W-wait! I know that's what I said, but please wait a second Kazuma-San! We can talk about this! Because not having money would be troubling…"

With two girls hopelessly clawing at his legs, Kazuma held back a groan.

'How annoying… Why did I get stuck with these people? These girls are cute, but their personalities are the worst... What about the third one?'

Kazuma thought before turning to Darkness to see if she wanted to add anything, only to find the girl blushing while staring at him expectantly. She was apparently waiting for her turn in his verbal lashing.

"Ah!"

Darkness shrieked when Kazuma went back to scolding the other two without saying anything to her.

Naruto's eyes were wide as he watched Kazuma go off on his party members, something in the boy must have snapped. He decided to put an end to this.

"Listen Kazuma, I think you should calm down a bi-"

"Shut up, you generic shonen manga protagonist!"

Kazuma said, cutting Naruto off completely.

"Wh-Huh!?"

Naruto didn't know what a manga was, but Kazuma was saying it as an insult and that was enough to make him angry.

"You heard me! You're overpowered, you have a 'I fight for my friends' personality, and you're dense as hell! That's the perfect formula for a generic shonen manga protagonist! Heck, I bet you lied about not being from Japan and being a ninja! I thought your backstory sounded familiar, you probably just copied it from a shonen manga you liked! I mean seriously, what kind of ninja wears orange!?"

Kazuma shouted and Naruto looked down until his bangs were covering his eyes.

"You can make fun of my name, my whisker marks, or even my life's story. You can even call me stupid…"

Naruto started before glaring daggers at Kazuma.

"But NO ONE makes fun of my orange jacket!"

"There's something seriously twisted about that statement! Ack! Oh, you wanna go? Bring it on, Gary Stu!"

Kazuma said when Naruto pounced on him, and even the girls jumping in on the fight.

* * *

"Stupid Kazuma… Who does he think he is making fun of my orange?"

"Right? How dare he make fun of Explosion magic!"

"…Why am I here again?"

Naruto asked as he followed Megumin down a trail somewhere outside the town.

After the little skirmish broke out, they had all been 'soft banned' from the guild. Naruto was about to go back to Wiz's shop since he had nothing else to do when Megumin had asked him to accompany her somewhere.

"You're here because Kazuma refused to go on our daily Explosion trip since he was too angry, and no one else was willing to carry me home…"

Megumin said while muttering the last part, but Naruto heard and his eye twitched.

"Wait, so you asked me to come with you just for that? You know, I'm still annoyed about your Explosion magic destroying my clones. I could have earned ten times the amount of money with the cabbages I lost, so don't get mad if I forget something on the way back."

"Please don't leave me behind…"

Megumin immediately begged, having caught what the blonde was implying.

Naruto sighed.

"So, where are we going?"

"There's an abandoned castle up ahead that I've been casting my Explosion magic on every day. Ah~ The feeling of casting magic on something so big and hard is the best!"

Megumin said with an ecstatic expression.

Naruto sweatdropped.

'This little girl must have a screw loose in that head of hers… But damn, why do I feel like I've heard someone say something like that before?'

As Naruto was lost in thought, Megumin ran up to the top of a hill and pointed her staff to the distance.

"There it is! Prepare yourself, for I, Megumin, have returned to blast you away with the full expense of today's mana!"

Megumin declared and began to chant her spell, and the surrounding area began to visibly shake.

Naruto watched in awe as Megumin chanted. Even if he was still a rookie with all things mana, Naruto could feel the sheer amount a energy collecting at the tip of mage's staff. It was hard to believe that such a young girl could handle to much energy.

"Explosion!"

Boom!

The earth shook violently as the castle was consumed in a fiery pillar of flames, and a deafening sound cracked before a hard breeze rushed over them. But even after all that, as the smoke lifted, the castle was still standing. Albeit a bit tattered.

What a sturdy structure.

"T-that… felt good. Oomph!"

Megumin said with a glazed expression as she fell to the ground.

"So that's what I've been hearing these past few days… You guys were coming all the way out here to train."

Naruto said as he nodded sagely.

"Ah, yes… Training… So what would you rate that Explosion? Kazuma has been rating them out of ten! I feel that today's explosion was quite good!"

Megumin asked with a tired, but excited voice.

Naruto hummed in thought. If he were to compare that explosion with his destructive techniques, then he would have to say it was close to a standard Biju-bomb. Which was quite an improvement since the last time he saw her.

' **Now, shall we show her what real destructive power is?'**

'Not today, I'd rather not destroy the castle Megumin's using to train.'

Naruto thought, and Kurama grunted in dissatisfaction.

"I can't rate it out of ten since I haven't seen your other Explosions, but your explosion magic has definitely gotten better since the last time I saw it. Maybe learning Explosion magic isn't such a bad idea…"

Naruto said as he picked Megumin off the ground and onto his back.

"…What did you just say?"

"Huh? Oh, I was just thinking I might learn Explosion magic. I haven't learned any other skill since I haven't really needed to, so my skill points are starting to stack."

"W-w-what!? D-d-d-do you really mean that!? Has my performance opened your eyes to the glory that is Explosion magic!?"

"W-woah! Stop moving around! I thought you couldn't move after using Explosion magic? But anyway, I only said maybe! The whole 'paralyzed from the neck down after using that magic' is still kinda bad!"

Naruto said when Megumin started moving and almost made him lose his balance. She seemed exhausted just a second ago, but now the girl was bouncing on his back.

"I'll finally have an Explosion companion… We can be true rivals who walk down the same path! Our contests will purely consist of seeing who casts the bigger and better Explosion! Kazuma can be the judge…"

Megumin said with a brilliant smile and became lost in a daydream.

'She's not listening at all…'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop. It was almost nostalgic seeing how energetic Megumin was even though she was tired. Was he really like this when he was younger?

* * *

While Naruto was on his way back to the adventurer's guild while carrying the mana exhausted Megumin on his back, a voice called out to him across the street.

"Oi~! Boss Naruto! Over here!"

Naruto stiffened upon hearing the voice, but he didn't stop and kept walking.

Megumin turned her head to get a look at the person Naruto was seemingly ignoring. She knew the ninja didn't necessarily get along with the adventurers in the guild, but he didn't seem like the type of person who would ignore someone.

"Hey, who is that man who looks like a delinquent? He's calling you 'boss'. Is he one of your underlings?"

"Don't assume he's my underling just because he's calling me boss, and I'm not a delinquent! But that guy is a troublesome fellow who proudly calls himself a delinquent adventurer, so just ignore him."

Naruto hissed at his cargo as he slightly picked up his pace, and at the same time the shouting stopped. Did that troublesome fellow give up?

"Ah, he's coming this way."

Megumin said, crushing the shinobi's wishful thinking.

"Hey, I was calling for you boss Naruto! It's me, Dust! What's this, out on a date?"

Dust said as he ran in front of Naruto and Megumin, and grinned slyly upon seeing the girl on his back.

Naruto held back a groan and strained a grin. As tempting as it was to say yes and tell Dust to take a hike, Naruto didn't want people to start spreading rumors about him dating a little girl. Being branded a pedophile would be even worse than a delinquent.

"Y-yo… No, I was just-"

"Can't say I'm not surprised, I didn't know Boss was into lolitas! But she's a real cuitie, I'm jealous!"

Dust said with a hearty laugh, interrupting Naruto midsentence.

…What's a lolita?

While Naruto was pondering on the foreign terminology, Megumin's grip around his neck tightened.

"Naruto, dear… Since I cannot move, can you do me a favor and beat this guy up for me?"

"H-hey settle down, and don't call me that! This guy will probably take you seriously!"

Naruto scolded Megumin, but the girl merely smiled bashfully.

"But what about that long 'walk' we just had? It was so _explosive_ , it took all my energy and now I can't even walk."

"W-wha-"

Naruto stuttered when Megumin blurted out such nonsense out of nowhere. It was true they went on a walk, there was an explosion, and it left Megumin powerless. But it was the way Megumin said it... Was she doing it on purpose?

"W-walk… Explosive… Can't walk…?"

Dust said and swallowed as he looked between Naruto and Megumin with wide eyes, his imagination clearly running wild.

'Oh no, he definitely misunderstood that!'

Naruto thought and was about to clear everything when Dust suddenly took off running.

"I'll get out of your way, boss Naruto! Good luck!"

"Good luck with what!? W-wait, you're wrong!"

Naruto shouted, but the other boy was already gone. He grumpily glanced at Megumin, but the girl looked away.

'Oh yeah, this girl is defiantly on the prank list…'

"…How long have you been training? I could tell you were holding back during the cabbage hunt, and please don't just say years of hard work and guts this time."

Megumin asked.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the sudden question, but he hummed as he thought of a response.

"Well, I've been training in the way of the ninja my entire life. But my real training started when I was thirteen when I graduated from the ninja academy and was placed in a team with some of my fellow classmates."

"Ninja academy? We have a school back in the Crimson Magic Village, and I just graduated half a year ago."

"A school for mages, huh? That sounds like fun."

"Not really, the classes were super boring and easy. Then again, I am the genius prodigy of the village. So of course it would be that way. I even graduated early."

Megumin stated proudly.

"I-is that so?"

Naruto said with a sweatdrop before he continued with the original topic.

"But anyway, after training under Kakashi-Sensei for a while, I left the village with my master, Jiraiya-Sensei-"

"Pui!"

"-and trained with him for three years... Hey, did you just spit?"

Naruto asked when he heard Megumin spit on the ground while he was talking.

"Sorry, please continue."

Megumin said casually, and Naruto raised an eyebrow before continuing.

"…During my training with Jiraiya-Sensei-"

"Pui!"

"-I learned a lot. But it wasn't until after I returned from the village and Jiraiya-Sensei-"

"Pui!"

"-passed away that I pushed myself to surpass him and learn one of the most powerful techniques from the Toads of Mount Myōboku. Something that even Jiraiya-Sensei-"

"Pui!"

"Why do you keep spitting!? Do you want me to tell you about my training or not!?"

Naruto shouted angrily and stop walking to get an answer.

"I'm sorry! It's just a law in the Crimson Magic Village I have to follow…"

"What law!? You know what, never mind! I was thinking about going to that village, but that place must be full of weirdos too if there's a law to spit while someone is talking about something important!"

"Wh-How dare you mock the Home of the Crimson Magic! As a Crimson Magic Clansman, I cannot overlook this! To say such things about the village is the same as picking a fight with me!"

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it when you can't even walk-Oww oww oww! Stop pulling my hair! Megumin!"

* * *

 **Later…**

It was dinnertime, and Naruto and the others were no longer 'soft banned' from the adventurer's guild. Everyone was sitting at the corner table while peacefully eating their long-awaited meals.

Well, as peaceful as a couple of wolves feasting on their first pray in a week could be. Everyone pitched in and they ordered a lot of food as an apology for their argument earlier that day, mainly Naruto and Kazuma since they had made the most from the cabbage hunt.

'These girls aren't cute at all…?'

Kazuma thought as he watched his party members in disdain as they dismembered the remains of a roast. Money has been tight due to the sudden shortage of weak monsters near the town, but these girls made little to no effort to hold back and proceeded to seemingly wolf their food down whole.

'These girls could probably give Choji a run for his money right now…'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop.

"Shay, Nashuto! Are chu gonna… *Gulp!* Are you gonna eat that?"

Aqua asked after gulping down some food, then started at the plate of stir-fried cabbage in front of Naruto with hungry eyes.

"K-knock yourself out…"

Naruto said and pushed his plate forward, to which Aqua accepted with glee. His appetite had been spoiled anyway.

"Thank you~!"

Aqua cooed and greedily snatched the plate, prompting Darkness and Megumin to slam their hands on the table loudly.

"No fair!"

"Taking your boyfriend's meal is cheating!"

Were they having an eating contest? Or rather…

"He/She's not my boyfriend/girlfriend!"

Naruto and Aqua both shouted at the same time.

"…You know what, I think I'll eat those cabbages after all. Give em back."

Naruto said and outstretched his hand, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

"No, wait! Kazuma has been stealing my rations, so I'm extra hungry tonight! With the lack of easy quests right now, who knows when my next meal will be?"

Aqua hastily said while bringing the close to her protectively, and this time Kazuma slammed his hands on the table.

"Who stole who's food!? You've got some nerve to say that when I caught you hiding leftover snacks in the stables this morning! If you're so worried about food, then stop spending all your money on expensive wine!"

Kazuma shouted while pointing at Aqua accusingly, but the girl ignored him and quickly shoved the stir-fried vegetables into her mouth.

"Why you arrogant little…"

Kazuma said while grinding his teeth, but stopped when Naruto waved him off as if to say: 'I'll teach her a lesson later'.

After that, everyone went back to eating.

Naruto decided to order his favorite Neroid juice. His appetite may have been spoiled, but he could always drink the delicious beverage that was neroid! Although he still hadn't figured out how it was made…

"By the way, Naruto said he's learning Explosion magic."

Megumin suddenly said, and Naruto choked on his drink.

"You're actually going to learn that useless magic!?"

Kazuma asked while looking at Naruto like he had grown a second head.

"How did Megumin convince you with that undeveloped body of hers!?"

Darkness asked while looking genuinely surprised.

"Oi. Do you two want to get kicked out again?"

Megumin said and grabbed her staff, her eyes shining dangerously bright.

Having cleared his throat, Naruto scratched his whisker marks awkwardly.

"I was thinking about it since I haven't spent any of my skill points yet…"

"How many skill points do you even have? Didn't Megumin say it could take years to gain the necessary amount of points."

Kazuma asked, because that was the main reason why he didn't want to learn Explosion magic. Why bother spending all that time grinding skill points on a spell he would only be able to use once a day? That included IF he had enough mana to cast it in the first place!

"I couldn't look earlier, but let me see your Adventurer's card. I'll judge if you are worthy for Explosion magic. If one tries to walk down the path of Explosion unprepared, you may just lose your life."

Megumin said and reached across the table towards Naruto expectantly.

"In other words, you're going to see if I have enough skill points?"

Naruto said and handed his card over.

"You're not seriously considering that magic, are you? I mean, sure it's powerful, but you don't even have a party. What are you going to do after using Explosion and you're paralyzed?"

Kazuma asked. Unless Naruto joined a party, using Explosion magic would leave him completely defenseless.

"Like I said, I was only thinking about it since I haven't learned any other skills. I had a lot of skill points… Huh?"

Naruto blinked. He felt a familiar rush in his head, like he was learning the experiences of a shadow clone. It was a feeling similar to when he learned the Steal skill…

"Did you-!?"

Naruto suddenly shouted and stood up, his eyes wide like saucers.

Kazuma followed the boy's gaze and his face turned pale when he realized what had happened.

Megumin, who had been in possession of Naruto's adventurers card this whole time, had her finger firmly placed over the skills portion.

"It's possible for people to make choices on someone else's card, but does that mean Naruto had enough points to learn Explosion magic? Then why did Megumin…?"

Darkness said with a frown, and Megumin adverted her gaze.

"My finger slipped…"

"Like hell it did!"

Naruto shouted angrily before he sat down, his head resting in his hands as he groaned. All those skill points… Wasted.

Kazuma and Darkness looked back and forth between Naruto and Megumin, unsure as to how to react. On one hand, they felt bad for Naruto and wanted to say something. But they couldn't think of anything. On the other, they wanted to scold Megumin for doing something so drastic without permission. But the girl had a look that said she did NOT regret her actions at all.

Everyone went silent for a couple minutes, even the guild had gotten quiet. That is until the one person who couldn't read the mood because she was too busy eating walked over to Naruto with a skip in her step.

"Here, this is for sharing your food with me! You can praise me if you want to!"

Aqua said and placed a napkin on the table in front of Naruto, beckoning him to pick it up.

'She's giving me a napkin… What the?'

Naruto thought as he picked up the napkin, only to find a large folded piece of paper that had the rough shape of a toad underneath.

"Look out! It's a nasty toad! Also, look! There's a tiny me inside! Save me!"

Aqua said while opening the paper toad's mouth, and there was tiny paper figure inside.

Naruto looked at Aqua in confusion before his eyes lit up in realization. Reaching into his ninja pouch, Naruto pulled out the straw Aqua made him and stuck it into his neroid juice. After the straw turned yellow, he brought it towards the paper toad and knocked it to the side.

"Yay! You saved tiny me! You sure took your time!"

Aqua cheered, and a smile cracked on Naruto's face.

"…Heroes always arrive late, Arch Priest-San! Oh? Is that a blush I see?"

"I-I am not blushing! I mean-For saving this Arch Priest-Sama, you are allowed one wish! You also have the privilege of treating me to dinner. Make sure there's wine."

"Wait, why am I treating you to dinner!? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

Naruto raged, before he shoved the tiny Aqua back into the toad's mouth.

"Take this!"

"Ah!"

As the two began to fight over the paper toad, Kazuma watched with a flat expression until they finally reached an agreement for the next scene.

"… What are you two doing?"

"Don't mess up the last part, Kazuma! You didn't do anything except stand there with a dumb look on your face, remember?"

Aqua said while blocking the teen off with an arm.

'She's really into reenacting the scene…'

Kazuma thought, a tick mark forming on his forehead. He then turned to Megumin, who was still staring at Naruto's adventurer's card with a triumphant look on her face. Letting out a sigh, Kazuma wondered if he would ever meet a normal person in this world.

* * *

 **A/N: Dang, this one looks like a full chapter! Sure feels like it! Thank you Acidash for going beta mode and making this chapter squeaky clean!**

 **This chapter was another good example of the differences between Naruto and Kazuma's personalities, especially with how they deal with Aqua's shenanigans. :p**

 **Naruto (unwillingly)learns Explosion magic!**

 **The Explosion skill costs a lot of points to learn, sixty to be exact. Naruto, with the combined skill points he had naturally when he first came to this world and the points he gained from leveling, was just enough to learn it.**

 **Why wouldn't Megumin take advantage of the situation to have an Explosion companion? XD**


	14. Familiar Book

**A/N: Revised as of 4/1/2019**

* * *

"Please Luna-Chan! I'm begging you!"

"Do you never learn? No means no!"

A quarrel between an adventurer and the beautiful receptionist Onee-Chan in the back of the guild. To the other adventurers, it sounded as though yet another adventurer tried to ask the receptionist out on a date and failed.

But in reality-

"Why!? I've already done so many hard quests by myself, this one should be no different!"

"I know you are strong, but the matter lies in the fact that this quest requires a party of at least four people minimum."

"I saw you add that last part this morning!"

-It was Naruto begging Luna to let him take on an extremely difficult quest.

Naruto growled in frustration before sighing in defeat. There was no use getting mad over this, he knew Luna was only looking out for him.

"Fine… If I form a party of four, then can I take on that quest?"

"Yes. After all, this is a very difficult quest. The only reason this request is even here is because of the recent movements of the demon king's army, and the royal army can't spare any advanced team to help."

Luna said with tired sigh. It was difficult managing such a quest in a town beginners. Just this morning, she had received complaints from some of the farmers outside of town. The Manticore fighting with the Griffon for territory was causing everyone a lot of problems.

"Then you won't have to worry for much longer! I'll form a team of four and we'll take care of this fun sounding quest, and you can enjoy a good break!"

Naruto declared with foxlike grin.

"I look forward to it… But you can start by making a recruitment form here in the guild."

Luna responded with an awkward smile. To say an extremely dangerous quest sounded like fun was a little…

"Alright! One badass party coming right up!"

With that said, Naruto ran off to make a recruitment form.

* * *

 **3 Hours Later…**

'…Why isn't anyone coming?'

Naruto thought as he sat in the corner of the guild all by himself.

A couple hours had long since passed and there hadn't been a single response to his party invitation!

'My request is perfect! So why isn't anyone showing up?'

Naruto stood up and walked over to the request board.

 _Requesting Party Members!_

 _Hi! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, a super awesome, strong, and cool ninja! I plan to defeat the demon king! But before that, I want to take on a SUPER hard quest to subdue the Manticore and Griffon to help Luna-Chan! No restrictions. Anyone is welcome to join! Let's defeat those giant monsters together!_

"See? It's perfect! So why don't any of you want to join me!? I'll even do all the work!"

Naruto shouted while looking around the guild, and everyone he looked at adverted their eyes. No one dared to look him in the eye, and that pissed him off.

What kind of adventurers were these people? Were they all just a bunch of cowards?

"Guess I'll have to look somewhere else..."

Naruto grumbled to himself and stomped his way towards the exit when the doors swung open and a certain red cloaked mage walked in and flipped her cape.

"Naruto, fellow wielder of the ultimate magic! It is time we test our mettle and see who can make grandest Explo-"

Naruto walked past the girl as if he didn't notice her.

The doors closed and Megumin just stood there, mid-pose. Her face burned red as a tomato as soft laughter could be heard throughout the guildhall.

* * *

Naruto sighed as he walked down the streets of Axel with his hands in his pockets. He wasn't picky with who joined his team but if he could choose, he would form a team similar to Kazuma's party. A vanguard, a ranged fighter, and a healer sounded like a balanced team. Naruto himself could fill in any blanks his team had, like stealth.

But the problem was going to be finding people with those job descriptions and were willing to take on hard quests. So they either had to be ambitious, or crazy. Maybe both?

While Naruto was busy thinking of his recruitment plans, he failed to notice the same red clad mage from earlier catch up to him.

"You've got guts for ignoring a Crimson Magic Clansman! Are you afraid? Surely that must be the case! After all, you are dealing with the genius of the Crimson Magic Clan!"

Megumin shouted rather loudly, which generated a bit of an audience on the busy street.

Naruto sighed. He didn't have time for this right now. Turning around, he walked over to Megumin and knelt until he was eye level with the girl and smiled gently.

"Listen Megumin, big brother Naruto is busy looking for party members right now. Unfortunately, I think I know a guy…"

"B-big brother… I see you're still mad about yesterday, but I had no other choice. If you give me the adventurer's card of someone who can learn Explosion, of course my finger is going to move on its own! It's automatic function for a Crimson Magic Clansman such as myself! A default option that cannot be changed!"

Megumin explained while clenching her fist with tear in her eyes, as if she was talking about a terrible burden she was forced to bare.

But Naruto wasn't having any of it.

"I don't know all that much about you and your village, but that's probably just you who thinks like that! Everyone I ask says Explosion Magic is useless!"

Naruto shouted heatedly before turning the opposite direction and waving behind his back.

"Go play with Kazuma or something."

"W-wait! Kazuma and Aqua are working at the construction site today since there's no easy jobs on the board!"

Megumin pleaded and grabbed onto the ninja's jacket in attempt to keep him from leaving.

Naruto stopped when he heard the stitches in his worn-out jacket begin to stretch.

"Stop pulling on my precious jacket! Jeez, you almost tore it… Why don't you just work at the construction site with them instead of bugging me?"

"…I was, until I was fired for picking a fight with the construction foreman."

"…Why did you fight with your boss?"

Naruto said with a sweatdrop, and Megumin stomped her feet.

"He had it coming for calling me 'little boy', and saying 'oh sorry, I thought you were a boy because you're so flat and talk so rough'! So, I did the only thing an offended lady could do and kicked him right in the-"

"Alright alright! You can tag along while I search for party members!"

Naruto said before Megumin could finish her little story, and the two walked down the streets of Axel together.

—After a couple minutes of just walking down the streets…

"Personally, I would love to test my Explosion magic on a powerful monster like a Griffon. But Kazuma quickly rejected the idea…"

Megumin said before taking a bite of crepe she had talked Naruto into treating her to.

"I don't blame him. You guys are complete beginners, with or without your Explosion magic. You're not ready for super powerful enemies like that."

Naruto said while nodding sagely, and Megumin fumed.

"Oh yeah? I bet we'll defeat a high bounty monster before you do!"

"Is that a challenge? Alright then, if you guys manage to defeat any high bounty monsters before I'm able to form a party and take on the Griffon quest, then we can have a showdown of Explosion magic."

Naruto said with a smirk and raised his fist for an agreement fist bump, to which Megumin punched without a shred of thought.

"Oh, well if it isn't Boss Naruto and his little girlfriend! On another date I see?"

"!" x2

Naruto and Megumin turned to see Dust waving at them with a knowing grin, and they both responded accordingly.

"She's not my girlfriend, and stop calling me boss!"

"Who are you calling little, do you want this man to beat you up!?"

…

"…Why didn't you deny it? This guy is quick to misunderstand things. Also, why would I fight him for calling you little!?"

Naruto asked with a twitching eyebrow. Was this girl trying to cause another misunderstanding with Dust again?

Megumin's expression turned sly.

"Hoho~ What's this? Is Naruto getting all flustered? I may just have to tell Wiz and Aqua…"

"Who's getting flustered!? Besides, why would it matter if you told them? Aqua wouldn't care, and Wiz isn't the type to misunderstand things."

Naruto said and folded his arms impatiently. He was already regretting his decision to bring this kid along.

"Wiz? You mean the beautiful and unfortunate shopkeeper? So the rumors of people seeing Boss Naruto leaving her shop every morning is true!?"

Dust said with wide eyes.

Unfortunate? Was that how other people viewed Wiz? It almost made Naruto want to cry.

But more importantly-

"I wanted to ask before, but what kind of rumors have you been hearing Dust? But before you say anything, no, I'm not a stalker trying to steal Wiz's underwear, and I'm not a delinquent trying to get on her good side to steal her defective products!"

Naruto said, and Megumin sweatdropped.

"Wiz would probably cry if she heard you say that…"

"S-shh! If you keep your mouth shut, I'll buy you another crepe on the way back to the guild!"

Naruto frantically whispered to the mage, and the girl slid her finger across her lips like a zipper.

Sighing a breath of relief, Naruto turned back to Dust to find the boy laughing.

Seeing the annoyed look he was receiving, Dust ceased his laughter and told the ninja what he knew.

"There's nothing serious compared to the cabbage hunt, but there are rumors floating around that Boss Naruto is a real player. People see Boss leaving Wiz's shop with a satisfied look, as well as flirting with Luna-Chan and having lover's quarrels with Aqua at the adventurer's guild on a daily basis. Now they're talking about your dates with this little lady right here."

"All lies! Is that what people think of me!? They're jumping to conclusions too quickly! I admit I'm a little rough around the edges, and most of my friends happen to be girls right now… But to label me as a player just because I freely talk to the girls I know is a bit too much!"

Naruto shouted quickly when Megumin's gaze on him turned cold. If those rumors weren't even serious in Dust's eyes, he could only imagine what the rumors of him from the cabbage hunt were about.

But it was time to change things! No more bad rumors, no more false accusations! It was time for Naruto Uzumaki to make a difference in this world and prove himself!

"Dust!"

Naruto suddenly shouted seriously, causing the boy the jump in surprise.

"Y-yes Boss Naruto?"

"First off, stop calling me that. Now listen, what I'm about to ask might sound crazy. But I wanted to ask if you want to form a party with me and-"

"I accept!"

"…Eh?"

Naruto was caught off guard when Dust accepted his party invite before he could even explain the details.

"N-no… The quests I want to do are going to be super difficult-"

"I don't care! I already decided I wanted to follow Boss Naruto for two reasons! First, I would join Boss' party and earn lots of money! Second, I would learn Boss' secrets in getting girls!"

Dust said while saluting properly.

Naruto sweatdropped and whispered to Megumin:

"This guy is completely hopeless… But I'm not going to find anyone else who would want to fight a Griffon, am I?"

"No, probably not…"

Megumin whispered back before zipping her lips again. The crepes must have been very good if she was being this obedient to get another one.

Naruto sighed. He was definitely going to regret this, but a grin split his face despite it all. Dust didn't seem like a bad person overall, he was just a little misguided. Kind of like how Naruto himself was back before old man Sarutobi put him on the right path of wanting to become the Hokage.

"I still need to look for two more members, but welcome to the party Dust!"

"Thanks Boss! I'll go let my party members know I'll be leaving the team soon."

"Wait, you're in a party already? I don't want to force you to leave your teammates…"

"Nah, it's cool. They've been ignoring me the past couple days for some reason and I can't figure out why. Maybe they're still mad about that time I said I was the carry of our party during our last quest? Which is completely true."

Dust said as he rubbed his chin in thought.

'…Was this really the right decision?'

Naruto thought as the three began to walk back to the adventurer's guild.

* * *

"Wahhh~! Naruto, you jerk! And here I was thinking of keeping the fact that you snuck into the stables to play with my hair one night a secret!"

Aqua whaled while slamming on the table loudly, and Naruto's face heated up when the group looked at him weirdly.

Naruto had just introduced Dust to Kazuma and the rest of his group. Dust and Kazuma apparently already knew each other, they were apparently drinking buddies. But when Naruto decided to treat Dust to a drink for joining his party, Aqua began to complain spout out nonsense for some reason.

"I-I wasn't playing with your hair! I was trying to dye it orange, but the dye kept turning into water for some reason!"

He didn't deny it.

"So that's why the blanket was soaked. I thought Aqua went in her sleep because she was too drunk to walk to the bathroom… But was that really you Naruto? I didn't notice at all. Maybe you really are a ninja…"

Kazuma said while looking at Naruto with a perplexed expression. Naruto was the epitome of the saying 'don't judge a book by its cover'.

"That's what I've been saying this whole time! What made you think otherwise? Also, you were awake during that time Aqua!? I could have sworn you were completely passed out from drinking all that wine I treated you that night!"

Naruto said, but Aqua ignored him and turned her attention to Kazuma.

"Is that what you think of me, Kazuma!? Apologize! Apologize for thinking I'm some helpless child that can't go to the restroom by myself! Such a small amount of wine is nothing to the great me! But that's besides the point. A goddess such as myself doesn't use the bathroom."

Aqua said while gesturing to herself pridefully.

Naruto and Kazuma both stared at the bluenette with flat looks before they looked the other way, and the goddess panicked.

"D-don't ignore me! It's the truth!"

Ignoring Aqua for the time being, Naruto and Kazuma turned their attention to Dust who slammed his mug on the table loudly.

"Sheesh, Kazuma! I didn't know you hung out around so many beautiful ladies now! I wish I was in your party!"

Dust said with a flushed face while looking at the girls at the table. Apparently, he was on his fifth mug and was starting to get drunk so his mind was speaking for itself.

Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness seemed to take the compliment rather strongly and either looked away bashfully or started playing with their hair.

"Trust me, no you don't. But if you want to trade places with me so badly you're more than welcome to. In fact, you'd be doing me a favor."

Kazuma responded, and the grin on Dust's face widened.

"Hey!" x3

Unsurprisingly, the girls took offence to this and looked at Kazuma angrily.

'No mercy as usual…'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop. He was honestly amazed at how Kazuma was able to speak his mind so freely, and that he would always fight back with his all to defend himself, even from girls. It was one of the reasons Kazuma was the leader of his party.

He knew the girls could be a handful, but to say he didn't mind swapping places with Dust was a bit much…

"Say, why don't we do that? Boss Naruto said we're not going on a quest until we find two more party members anyway."

Dust said and Kazuma rubbed his chin in thought.

'If Dust takes the girls on a quest or Megumin to do her daily Explosion, then that could give me more time to finish reading my book! I haven't had any time to read it because the construction job leaves me too exhausted to even pick it up! I was at a really good part too!'

While Kazuma was thinking to himself, Naruto leaned over to Dust.

"Hey, are you sure you want to do this? These girls are pretty, sure, but they're quite a handful. Well, at least Aqua and Megumin are. Darkness is just a little weird."

Naruto whispered to his future party member, but Dust waved him off.

"Are you kidding? Being the only guy in a party full of girls is a man's dream! So what if they're a little weird? I'd take a weird harem over no harem any day!"

Dust exclaimed when Kazuma suddenly slammed his hands on the table.

"Alright Dust, I guess I can let you borrow these ladies for a couple days. But only if you take Megumin on her daily Explosion on the days she doesn't use it."

Kazuma said stuck out his hand, to which the other boy immediately shook.

"Deal! By the way, what's a daily Explosion? Does it have anything to do with the tremors we've been getting every day?"

Dust said while he shook Kazuma's hand, and the latter glossed it off as a scenic walk with the Crimson Magic Clansman.

"I'm a little annoyed that we don't have a say in this, but just so you know… If I don't fire off Explosion magic once a day, I'll explode."

Megumin said with a dark expression, her eyes glowing crimson.

"I don't mind, since it would only be for a couple days. I was going to go back to my home to do some weight training since Kazuma doesn't want to do any hard quests, but you wouldn't mind doing a difficult quest, do you Dust?"

Darkness asked their new(temporary) party member, an eager expression on her face.

"A hard quest? Right off the bat? Also, you're a bit close…"

Dust asked a bit nervously and pushed Darkness away when she got up in his face excitedly.

"You also have the great me, so you don't need to worry so much! A difficult quest is nothing with my support!"

Aqua boasted and gave Dust a thumbs up.

"Th-thanks… I'll be in your care."

Dust said awkwardly and looked to Naruto for help, but the ninja merely shrugged as if to say: 'you reap what you sow'.

* * *

 **The Next Morning…**

'Since Dust is going on a quest with Kazuma's party, I guess that means it's up to me to find the other two members.'

Naruto thought as he walked to Wiz's shop, a box containing two bowls of ramen in his hands.

Dust was a warrior, so he filled the vanguard role for the party and Naruto would be able to back him up if needed. So all he needed now was a priest and a ranged fighter. But he would prefer a mage for the ranged fighter because magic was cool.

"Too bad Wiz is retired… Huh?"

Wiz's shop was just around the corner when Naruto noticed a small crowd in front of one of the stores. Naruto recalled it was the general store across from Wiz's magic item store, and knew they sold things like travel snacks, lanterns, books, and other small items necessary for adventuring.

But what caught Naruto's eye was the tall man standing in the middle of the crowd, or more specifically the man's long white hair. The man was facing away from the ninja, but Naruto could tell he was signing books the people in the crowd were handing him. Perhaps he was a famous person?

Naruto spotted a man walking away from the crowd holding a small orange book with a happy expression. Walking up to the person, Naruto pointed towards the crowd.

"What's with the crowd? Is that guy famous or something?"

"Oh, you don't know? That's the famous author of this amazing book series! See? Check it out!"

The person said while showing off his signed book proudly.

 **Crash!**

"W-woah! You okay kid!?"

The man said when Naruto suddenly dropped the box he was holding, the ramen spilling all over the floor.

Naruto just stood there, eyes wide, starting at the little orange book he was all too familiar with. He then looked at the crowd and started walking, then slowly picked up his pace into a sprint.

Skidding to a stop at the edge of the crowd, Naruto frantically began to push his way to the front. The people were shouting at him angrily, but Naruto ignored them and kept pushing forward. He had to know for sure.

Once he finally broke through, Naruto put his hands on his knees to catch his breath. When he looked up he found the tall man with long spikey white hair was looking down at him strangely.

The man's face was a little red, no doubt he had been drinking. His outfit was different, but there was no doubt Naruto knew this person.

Naruto's eyes began to water as the man's face lit up in recognition.

"Ero… Senin?"

* * *

 **A/N: Ah~ Nothing beats a good cliffhanger! :3**


	15. A Toad Sage(?) Appears

**A/N** **: Revised as of 4/1/2019**

* * *

"Ero… Senin?"

Naruto said softly as he stared up at the man that was all too familiar to him.

Jiraiya the Gallant. The great toad sage of Konoha, one of the legendary Sanin. Mentor of Minato Namikaze, Nagato, and then Naruto himself.

They had gone on a three-year training trip to hone his basic skills, making many memories along the way. Good and bad.

Naruto had been devastated when Jiraiya died, and his resolve grew as a result. But in the end, he had died as well.

"I-"

Naruto began to say, but his words died in his throat.

He died. Naruto died and couldn't keep his promise to Jiraiya of living out his dream of creating a world where everyone could understand one another. What would Jiraiya say after learning about this? Surely, he would be disappointed.

Naruto was brought out of his thoughts when the crowd began to mutter amongst themselves.

"Uahhh… Look at that guy. Just seeing Ero-Senin brought him to tears?"

"Does he like Ero-Senin's books that much? I love them too, but to cry over it is a little…"

"Hey, that's Naruto Uzumaki the delinquent boss and one of the Panty and Bra Thief Brothers."

Hearing that last comment, Naruto sprung up and pointed at the crowd heatedly.

"Alright, who said that!? I'm not a delinquent or an underwear thief damn it!"

Naruto raged while glaring at all the men in the crowd who were all holding a copy of Icha Icha Paradise. They dared call him a pervert when they were holding porn in their hands in the middle of town, and why were they calling Jiraiya Ero-Senin as well!?

"Buahahaha!"

'Ero-Senin' bellowed with laughter, catching everyone's attention.

Naruto couldn't help but smile. God, he had missed that obnoxiously loud laugh.

After he gained control of himself, Jiraiya grinned widely.

"So, you finally came around and saw the true genius of my novels? So much in fact, that death itself couldn't stop you from getting my new book? Here, I'll sign one for you! Buahaha!"

"Wha-No! I didn't come here for one of your stupid books you perverted geezer!"

Naruto shouted and slapped the book Jiraiya held out to him to the floor, and people in the crowd immediately pounced on the thing to fight for its possession.

"Grrrr… I see you haven't changed a bit since I last saw you, you little brat. You're still just a kid who can't appreciate true art!"

Jiraiya growled, but was rather pleased to see the people fighting over his signed novel on the floor.

"Art? Who calls porn art? A pervert, that's who!"

"Guh…! W-who are you calling a pervert in the middle of town!?"

"The one who calls himself a 'Super Pervert' to children! I'm beginning to think if I should have called the police instead of coming over here…"

Naruto said and crossed his arms while looking away in a huff, and Jiraiya choked on his spit when the woman across the street began to look at him with cold eyes.

"Sh-shut you stupid brat! I-Is that any way to talk to someone you haven't seen for so long!?"

"I wouldn't be saying these things if you hadn't ruined the moment with that stupid book of yours!"

As the two continued to argue, the crowd looked between the two rather awkwardly.

"Um… Ero-Senin? Who is this kid to you?"

Jiraiya and Naruto, who were at each other's throats, stopped and looked at the man who had voiced the crowd's thoughts.

Letting go of the teenager, Jiraiya placed a hand on top of Naruto's head and grinned widely.

"This brat is my disciple! Now if you'll all excuse me, I got some catching up to do with my old student. No more books will be signed for now."

"Ehhh!?"

The crowd of men waiting to get their books to be signed all shouted in surprise at the revelation. Partially because of the notorious Naruto being their favorite author's student, but mostly because Jiraiya was done signing books.

Jiraiya chuckled at their reaction and began to walk into the town, the crowd splitting so he could walk through.

"Where are we going?"

Naruto asked as he followed his mentor, laughing nervously when he noticed the glares of those who hadn't gotten their books signed yet.

"I know a place… Hehehe…!"

Jiraiya said and smiled lecherously, letting out a few giggles.

'He's not seriously going to take me to a brothel for us to catch up, is he?'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop as he was led by the giggling adult with a skip in his step.

* * *

Naruto was surprised when Jiraiya had not only brought him to a café, but a seemingly normal café. They were sitting a one of the corner tables, so they could talk without being disturbed.

"You seemed excited about this place, do they have a special food or something?"

Naruto asked as he looked through the café's menu.

"Oh, their menu's special alright… Hehehe…"

Jiraiya said while ogling at one of the waitresses with a look befitting that of the title 'Ero-Senin'.

Naruto noticed the pink haired curvy waitress Jiraiya was drooling over, and when she winked at them he sighed. He wanted to catch up with his sensei, but how was he supposed to do that with a waitress like that in the same room?

Ah. She was walking over to them.

"Welcome~! How may I serve you this morning?"

The curvaceous woman asked in a sultry voice, bending over slightly with a notepad in her hands to take their orders.

"I doubt you're on the menu, so I'll start with some tea."

Jiraiya said while obviously staring at the woman's full chest, but the waitress surprisingly didn't seem to mind at all and even laughed at his crude joke that one normally would consider being sexual harassment.

"Maybe in your dreams~! Now, what can I get you, sir~?"

The pink haired waitress asked and leaned closer to Naruto's face, her breasts jiggling when she leaned on the table. She was clearly not wearing a bra underneath that tight shirt.

"Geheheh!"

Jiraiya giggled, steam blowing out of his nose as he began to feverously write something into his notepad. It seemed he still did 'research' wherever he went. But he sure seemed happy for someone that just got told off.

"U-um…"

Naruto stuttered and felt his face heating up when the waitress was right in front of his face, staring deep into his eyes as though she were looking for something.

"You have a certain aura to you that radiates power… But it is compressed and hidden away. Here."

The woman suddenly said with a serious expression and placed a hand on Naruto's stomach, enticing a silent yelp from the blushing blonde.

' **Oh? This feeling… It may be weak, but this woman is giving off a demonic signature.'**

Kurama said in an amused tone, as he found this revelation rather interesting. What could a demon be doing in a town of beginners? The Kyuubi decided to spike a bit of his chakra to see what the lesser devil's reaction would be.

'She's a devil? Then she must have sensed you… Eh!?'

Naruto almost shouted in surprise when the pink haired waitress gained a lustful expression, and her hands started moving up and down her body.

"Blurgh!"

Jiraiya's eyes bulged out of their sockets from the surprise show before he flew back out of his chair, leaving two streams of blood from a severe nosebleed.

"Ngh~! Y-yes! This intense feeling of power dormant in you… I want it… I NEED it!"

The lady all but shouted and pounced on the Jinchuuriki, firmly pressing his head in between her breasts.

"Mffu mufffuf(What is going on)!?"

Naruto's muffled voice came from the chest of the excited woman.

' **Heh! Just as I thought. This woman is a Succubus, a lower leveled devil that feeds off men's lustful emotions. She must have sensed my superior power and grew excited from it. Enjoy the free show, brat. You can thank me later. Hahaha!'**

Kurama said as he roared with laughter at Naruto's flustered state.

'Ehhhh!?'

Naruto thought when more of the café's employees came over, and began to fight over the blonde. They were pulling on him from every direction, his arms, legs, even his hair. He looked to Jiraiya for help, but the man was out cold from his nosebleed. He also tried looking at the other customers(all male), only to find every single one of them glaring at him with jealous eyes.

'I need to get out of here before they pull me apart!'

Naruto thought when he started hearing the stitches in his jacket tearing.

 **Poof!**

"Ah!"

The Succubus all gasped when Naruto's body exploded into vapor leaving behind a log. They turned to see that Jiraiya was gone as well, indicating Naruto had taken the man and escape.

As the employees moaned in despair, a couple of the male customers, who happened to be adventurers, grumbled to themselves.

"Why is it always that guy?"

"First Luna-Chan, now this?"

The pink haired Succubus couldn't help but overhear the men's words and walked over to their table with a gentle smile.

"Excuse me, but do you fine men happen to know what that boy's name was? He left without paying for his tea you see…"

The adventurers blushed when the beautiful waitress turned her attention towards them.

"Y-yes, of course!"

"That guy's name is Naruto! But you ladies should stay away from him, he's…"

The men started talking about Naruto and all the rumors surrounding him, but the Succubus tuned them out and licked her lips.

'Naruto-Sama… Huh?'

* * *

Naruto placed Jiraiya's unconscious form on a park bench before letting out a tired breath.

"That was close… Huh? This kinda reminds me of when Ero-Senin used to get drunk during my training trip, and I had to carry his drunk-ass back to the inn we were staying at."

Naruto said with a laugh, then sweatdropped when Jiraiya snorted in his sleep.

'Maybe I should have just left this guy back there…'

The blonde shinobi thought as he stared at his mentor with distasteful eyes. Shaking the thought out of his head, Naruto sat down on the bench and closed his eyes in thought.

Why were there Succubus in a town of beginner adventurers? Were they here because the town was full of easy pickings? Were they planning an attack and were using that café as their base of operation?

Naruto was pulled out of his thoughts when Jiraiya stirred in his sleep and eventually opened his eyes.

"Geh-Huh? Where am I? Where did the pretty lady go?"

Jiraiya said while looking around the mostly empty park until his eyes fell on his pupil.

"What are you looking at me like that for?"

"Nothing. Can we finally talk now?"

Naruto asked with a twitching eyebrow.

Jiraiya blinked before he leaned back on the bench and smiled sadly.

"It's been about half a year since I came here, huh? When I first came here, I didn't really know what to do. So I joined the adventurer's guild and started traveling. As you already saw, I've been re-selling my books for money. They're selling like hotcakes as expected!"

Jiraiya said with a chuckle before turning to Naruto.

"I'm guessing the first thing you did was become an adventurer too, right? That desire to help others was always your strongest trait."

"Y-yeah, I did… You're an adventurer too?"

Naruto asked with a grin. Of course Jiraiya had become an adventurer. After all, he was a man with a dream of achieving world piece! Plus, he was probably sent here by a god or goddess with the mission to defeat the demon king in this world as well! Naruto wondered how many battles against the demon king his master had already fought.

"Retired adventurer."

Jiraiya corrected.

"…Eh?"

Naruto tilted his head dumbly and said.

"I retired from adventuring the moment my books started selling. After all, why bother risking my life killing monsters for money if I can get rich off my precious Icha Icha Paradise? Gahaha!"

Jiraiya said with a shrug before bellowing with laughter.

"You mean to tell me you've been lazing around this whole time!? Give back my thoughts of respect!"

Naruto shouted, jumping to his feet and pointing an accusing finger.

"Hey now! I wasn't lazing around at all! I've been doing research when I wasn't translating my books-"

"So you were peeping in the girl's bath instead of defeating the demon king… I guess I should have expected that from Ero-Senin. Once an Ero-Senin, always an Ero-Senin."

'D-damn it Naruto…!'

Jiraiya thought while grinding his teeth. He wanted to say that he had been researching information on the demon king's army, but with the way Naruto was right now, the blonde just wouldn't take anything he said seriously. Wasn't Naruto the one who wanted to talk?

"Fine, what are you doing to defeat the demon king's army? What are you still doing in the town of beginners?"

Jiraiya pointed out, prompting the teen stiffen. The last time He had seen his pupil, Naruto was training in perfecting the Rasengan. Knowing his prized student, Naruto had probably not only completed that training, but also became much stronger than that. What was someone that strong doing here?

"W-well… I've been here for a couple weeks now, but I haven't been able to form a party with people to complete this quest I want to do."

Naruto said lamely while scratching his whisker marks, purposely leaving out the fact that he stayed in town to help Wiz. Jiraiya would never let that one go if he found out about Naruto helping a girl.

"What quest in a town for beginners doesn't allow someone to solo?"

The toad sage asked skeptically, suspicion growing in his eyes.

"It's a quest to slay a Griffon and Manticore fighting over territory. Luna-Chan said I couldn't do it unless I formed a party of at least four people…"

Naruto said with a pout. He was still mad about not being able to do that quest solo. Although it did make him happy to know that Luna was worried about him.

"Luna…? Oh, I remember her! Guhehe… That figure of hers was the best! Though I don't think she liked me for some reason. Not that it matters, I was only in town for two days before I left on my journey."

Jiraiya said with a shrug.

'I wonder why?'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop. He could already imagine the pervy-sage ogling at the pretty receptionist as she filled out some paper work, her large breasts pressing against the counter looking as if they would pop out of her shirt at any given mom-Whoa! Hold on there! Down boy!

Naruto shook the picture out of his mind when it began to wonder in a strange direction.

"Recruiting beginners to take on such a difficult quest… How many people have you recruited so far?"

Jiraiya asked while crossing his arms. For the sake of keeping the conversation moving, he would act serious. For now.

"So far I've only recruited one person. He's a warrior, and I'm an adventurer, so I need to find a ranged fighter and a healer if I can help it. Preferably a mage for the ranged fighter."

Naruto explained, earning an approving nod from his elder.

"That team composition sounds good. That warrior can be the frontline, and you backing them up. The mage and healer can support you two from a distance. With you being an adventurer, you can learn skills to fill in any gaps that your team would need to stay versatile. Honestly, I don't know why so many adventurers look down on the adventurer class. The stats you gain from leveling may be lower than others, but you can learn so many skills it pretty much cancels out."

Jiraiya said while shaking his head.

"Right? I'm guessing you became an adventurer too, right Ero-Senin?"

"What? No. I'm an Arch Wizard."

Jiraiya said flatly, catching Naruto flatfooted and causing him to fall off the park bench.

"I thought you just said the adventurer's class was good!"

Naruto jumped back to his feet and shouted.

"It is, and I used to have that class. But then I switched to Arch Wizard when I learned all the skills I wanted from the other classes."

Jiraiya said while picking at his ear casually.

"Oh… I guess that makes sense."

Naruto said and crossed his arms in thought. He had initially become an adventurer because the idea of learning skills from all the classes sounded like a no brainer, but he had only learned two skills so far. Should he change classes then for better stats each level?

While Naruto was thinking about his job class, Jiraiya noticed something in the distance.

"Hm? That kid looks like he's lost. Poor fellow seems frantic, like he's about to miss a chance of a life time."

Jiraiya said, stifling a yawn as he stretched out on the bench. The weather was nice, despite winter approaching. Maybe he'd take a nap…

Something about Jiraiya getting comfortable on the park bench pissed Naruto off, but he ignored his lazy mentor and looked towards the direction of the frantic boy. If he wasn't mistaken it was-

"Wahhhh! The author of my new favorite book is in town! I didn't know because I barricaded myself in the stables!"

Kazuma shouted as he looked around in various directions when he spotted Naruto at a distance, staring at him in confusion. Sprinting over to the blonde, Kazuma slid to a stop and grabbed onto Naruto's jacket.

"Naruto! You gotta help me! I left the stable because I forgot I needed snacks before I could lock myself in the stables all day to read this book for the third time this week when I heard from the store owner that the author was in town signing autographs! Have you seen a white-haired man with red lines going down his face!?"

Kazuma wailed as he shook Naruto back and forth like a rag doll.

"There, now stop stretching my jacket! My poor baby been through enough today…"

Naruto pushed Kazuma off and said, then pointed at the bemused Jiraiya who simply raised a hand.

"Yo."

Kazuma blinked. He blinked twice. Thrice.

"AHHH! It really is Ero-Senin in the flesh! Please sign my book!"

"Of course! Anything for a fan!"

After making sure his jacket didn't have any tears, Naruto looked at Jiraiya who signing Kazuma's copy of Icha Icha Paradise. Kazuma actually liked that garbage?

"By the way, why does everyone call you Ero-Senin? I thought you hated that name."

"Hm… I decided to use it as my pen name when I started translating my books to this world's language. Here you go."

Jiraiya said and handed the signed book to a starry-eyed Kazuma, who squealed like a little girl upon grabbing it.

"Uwaaaa! Thank you very much!"

Kazuma said and bowed, hugging the small book to his chest tightly. This was the greatest day of his life since coming to this troublesome world! Nothing could ruin this moment for him!

"Pen name, huh? Well it suits you Ero-Senin."

Naruto said with a cheeky grin before laughing when his mentor growled in annoyance. But eventually, even Jiraiya started laughing as well. It was honestly just like old times.

Kazuma, obviously noticing there was a connection between the two, pointed at Naruto and Jiraiya.

"Hey Naruto, what's your relation to Ero-Senin?"

"Oh, this guy? He's my-"

Naruto started, but was interrupted by Jiraiya who loudly stood up.

'Here we go…'

Naruto deadpanned as the sage walked to the middle of the of the walkway, taking his stance.

"Listen carefully now! The name 'Ero-Senin' is merely a pen name…"

Jiraiya began his famous introduction as he stood on one foot, arms spread out to his side and in front of him as he hopped a couple times on his wooden sandals, the sounds of drums coming from seemingly nowhere as he spoke.

"I shall tell you my true identity… I am the hermit toad sage of Mt. Myōboku, one of the legendary Sanin, feared by even the demon king himself!"

Jiraiya grabbed his long sideburns and swung his hair around a couple times before striking a pose.

"The ladies swoon when they hear my name… The great Jiraiya-Sama, that is me!"

…

Kazuma stared at the 'great' Jiraiya blankly, not quite sure how to react to such an introduction. It was more dramatic than even Megumin's first introduction, and that was saying something. Speaking of the Crimson Magic Clansman, that girl would probably worship this guy's self-introduction skills.

Naruto facepalmed.

"That guy's my mentor…"

"I-I see…"

Kazuma stuttered before shaking his face.

'Wait a minute! This guy taught Naruto how to fight, and Naruto's crazy strong! If that guy teaches me, then maybe I…'

Kazuma thought and gripped his fist, his mind full of resolve.

"Jiraiya-Sensei! Please take me under your tutelage! I aim to defeat the demon king, but I'll die instantly as it is. So please!"

This must have been a fateful encounter! It had to be! This was the man that was going to make him the hero he was destined to be-

"No way kid, I'm no longer taking any more pupils! What's with the kids in this world always asking me, the great Toad Sage Jiraiya-Sama, to be their mentor!? Sheesh!"

Jiraiya said with a wave of his hand, causing the teen to face-fault.

"Damn this stupid world!"

Kazuma shouted and took off running. He didn't need some weird old man to make him stronger like the main protagonists in a shonen manga! He would get stronger all by himself!

'Poor guy…'

Naruto thought while scratching his whisker marks. Come to think of it, he was lucky the toad sage taught him anything at all in the past. Jiraiya was a skilled shinobi, arguably one of the best in the world, but it was difficult to learn anything from the guy. Especially when there were girls around.

"What an interesting kid. I wonder if I'll see him again?"

Jiraiya said before turning to Naruto and grinning mischievously.

"Hey, I think I may know of a mage who might join your party for that crazy quest of yours. Want to go on a little trip, like old times?"

* * *

 **A/N: Bada Boom Bada Bing! Another chapter in record time! Thank you Acidash for going beta mode and making it shine!**

 **Sorry to those who wanted Jiraiya in Naruto's party, but that ain't happening! Also, don't worry. We'll learn more about Jiraiya's experiences in this wonderful world eventually!**

 **Who's this mage Jiraiya's talking about?**

 **Well, see you all in the next one!**

* * *

Interlude: The Fake Ninjas of Axel

Kazuma: You said you're a toad sage, right? Does that mean you can summon toads?

Jiraiya: W-well, the thing is… I kinda lost the ability to summon toads when I came to this world-

Kazuma: Ah. Another fake ninja.

Jiraiya: H-how rude!

Naruto: *Cracks knuckles* Mind telling me about the other fake ninja?


	16. Before the Departure

**A/N: Revised as of 4/1/2019**

* * *

"Wiz! Speak to me!"

"The… The light… It's so bright…"

"Don't go to the light! You're just hungry!"

Naruto was holding Wiz in his arms as they did their little drama.

Jiraiya watched the scene with a twitching eyebrow. How did Naruto, THAT Naruto, meet such a curvy beauty? The brat was even holding said beauty in his arms!

'No wonder the kid tried to outrun me when he suddenly took off, he must not have wanted me to come here… But the question is, why?'

The older sage thought while rubbing his chin in thought before his eyes widened.

Could it be-

After Naruto helped Wiz to the table, he sighed. He had been so engrossed with his catching up with Jiraiya, if one could even call that catching up, he had forgotten about Wiz's lunch.

'The ramen I made was ruined, but hopefully that clone I made was able to make some more and…'

Naruto's thoughts trailed off as he noticed the look on Jiraiya's face. The man was grinning madly and looked as though he would burst any moment.

'Oh crap, he followed me here. I wasn't able to outrun him…'

The blonde thought while starting to sweat bullets. He had taken off without saying a word to his old master, so of course Jiraiya would follow him.

"So hungry…"

Wiz said while panting heavily, gaining the attention to the two boys. Her breathing was ragged, and she was reaching towards Naruto with a glazed look on her face.

"Give it to me… Naruto-San's… I can no longer live without it!"

"W-Wiz!? D-Don't say things that'll make Ero-Senin misunderstand!"

Naruto stuttered and looked back at Jiraiya to see the man was already scribbling into his notebook, with steam coming out of his nostrils.

"Stop writing you pervy old man!"

Naruto shouted and lunged towards Jiraiya to grab him, but the man nimbly dodged to the grapple and the teen ran into a Shadow Clone who only just walked into the store with a bowl of ramen in his hands.

Crash!

The clone popped out of existence, and the ramen began to fall. But luckily Naruto was able to recover fast enough to catch the bowl at the last second before it hit the floor.

Ignoring the perverted giggles coming from the ceiling, Naruto quickly ran over to Wiz and placed the bowl of ramen in front of her.

"Safe!"

Naruto said while panting profoundly.

When the aroma of the broth his Wiz's nose, she snatched the chopsticks Naruto placed on the table before she began to dig into the bowl of noodles with gusto.

Naruto sighed in relief as Wiz began to calm down and finished the bowl normally.

Ramen Withdrawal Symptoms.

This was the term Naruto used when Wiz had begun to act strangely whenever she didn't get her daily bowl of ramen. He had forgotten to make ramen for her one day, and had brought some products from a food stall in town. This happened for a couple days and on the third day, Wiz had not only refused the snacks, but the normally calm and peaceful girl had all but tackled him and begged him to make her ramen.

After drinking the broth, Wiz placed the bowl down onto the table and let out a relieved sigh. She then blinked when she noticed Jiraiya standing on the ceiling.

"Who is that man on the ceiling, Naruto-San?"

"Long story short, this guy's my mentor."

Naruto said while throwing a thumb back as Jiraiya dropped to the floor.

Wiz stood up and clasped her hands together excitedly.

"Oh! Nice to meet you, mentor-San! My name is Wiz!"

"You can just call me Jiraiya, Wiz-Chan! I trust you've been taking care of my cute pupil?"

Naruto's eye twitched when he heard the Jiraiya call Wiz 'Chan', but he chose to keep his mouth shut since Wiz seemed to be in a good mood for some reason.

"Oh no! Quite the opposite! Naruto-San has been taking care of me these past few weeks!"

Wiz said while sending Naruto a shy smile.

"Taking care of… I see!"

Jiraiya said and scribbled something into his notebook again.

'Is she trying to cause more misunderstandings? No… Wiz is too nice to do this kind of thing on purpose.'

Naruto thought as he shook his head.

"Ah, Wiz. There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Eh?"

Wiz tilted her head cutely, and Naruto elbowed Jiraiya in the arm when he was about to write in his notebook again.

"Well, you see… I'm going on a trip with Jiraiya-Sensei because he knows a mage that might be interested in joining my party, so I'll probably be gone for a couple days."

Wiz's eyes widened as Naruto continued to talk.

"I'll leave you some emergency money if the red digits continue this week. Oh, and I'm going to ask Kazuma to check up on you every now and then, so you don't get lonely."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at that last statement. Who was Wiz to Naruto, a child that couldn't take care of herself, or a puppy that lost its way easily? He thought they might have been lovers, but now he was beginning to have his doubts.

"Wait! But if Naruto-San leaves, then that means-"

-I won't get to eat Naruto-San's ramen!

Is what Wiz was going to say, but couldn't bring herself to do so as it might hurt Naruto's feelings by making him feel like that was all she wanted him around for. Which was not the case at all! Naruto was a great friend, gave helpful advice, and all around good company! It's just… He made really good ramen.

"I'm sorry Wiz, it's just… I thought I was never gonna see my old mentor again, and going on a trip would be just like old times."

Naruto said apologetically, prompting the older man to rub his hair affectionately.

"Aw, you did miss me you little brat you~!"

"Don't make me regret going, you old geezer…"

Wiz frowned as she was struck by a sudden wave of guilt. It seemed Naruto really wanted to go on this trip, and who would she be to get in the way of his happiness? After all, Naruto had already done so much for her, and here he was asking if he could have some time off for a job he wasn't even getting paid for…

"Y-you don't have to worry about me, Naruto-San! Go find that mage for your party!"

"You sure?"

Naruto asked and when Wiz gave him a thumbs up, he cheered.

"Alright! Let's go Ero-Senin!"

Jiraiya chuckled as he watched his student bolt out of the store. Some things never changed.

"Jiraiya-San, please look after Naruto-San."

Wiz said with a gentle bow.

Jiraiya grinned mischievously.

"What? Are you worried about that kid?"

"Yes, I am. After all, Naruto-San is the one who has sacrificed so much just to help the clumsy me and this little shop."

Wiz responded with a soft smile, one that made Jiraiya rub the back of his head awkwardly.

"I-I see… So the brat means a lot to you. Thank you for being his friend."

Jiraiya said and gave a slight bow in return, then turned around and walked towards the door waving behind him as he went.

"But don't worry, little miss! That brat will be traveling with the great Jiraiya-Sama!"

Wiz giggled and waved goodbye as the man roared with laughter and disappeared through the door, leaving her lonesome self in the shop.

* * *

"How long is it going to take to get to this mage you mentioned?"

Naruto asked as they walked down the streets of Axel town.

"Hm… Well we won't be able to use this town's teleport shop to get there, so maybe-"

"Eh? Teleport shop?"

"It's a shop where you can pay a mage to use the Teleport spell to warp you to another town."

"Really!? That's awesome!"

Naruto shouted excitedly, earning a smirk from the older sage.

"Heh! That's why I became an Arch Wizard! But the only problem is… The place we'll be going to can't be reached through the Teleport shop because none of the mages in this town of beginners have ever been there."

Jiraiya boasted smugly before turning a little more serious as he pondered on how they would be traveling. They could hitch a ride on a caravan, but that wouldn't even take them half-way to their final destination. The rest they were going to have to walk.

'But somehow, I don't think that'll be a problem for this guy.'

The old hermit thought with a grin when he saw the eager look on Naruto's face.

"Ah, but before we go there are some things I need to take care of. Mind if we stop by the adventurer's guild?"

Naruto needed to ask Kazuma if he could go to Wiz's shop every now and then while he was gone, he also needed to tell Dust that he was leaving to find their third party member.

It was then-

"I did great this time around, wouldn't you say? One could say I was the MVP this time around!"

"All you did was buff our speed so we were able to run away from the Rookie Killer…"

"But because of my quick thinking, we were able to escape! Surely that is worthy of praise!"

"If by 'quick thinking', you're referring to us begging you to stop crying and to use your spells, then yes, you did a good job. Although I wish we stayed to fight that Rookie Killer… I can only imagine what those teeth could do to my armor!"

When Naruto and Jiraiya turned the corner, they came face to face with a familiar tri-colored group of girls and a very tired looking delinquent.

Dust noticed Naruto and his face lit up with hope and he pounced onto the whiskered teen.

"Boss! You gotta help me! I was wrong to want to travel with these girls! They may be cute, but there is something seriously wrong with their heads! Maybe they were droped on the head a couple times when they were babies, but they seriously scare me!"

"H-hey, calm down! What happened!?"

Naruto said as he pried the shivering boy from his jacket.

"We were on a simple quest to kill some goblins, but there were so many that we had Megumin use her magic to wipe em all out in one go… Then a Rookie Killer showed up so I told everyone to run away! But then Darkness charged at it head on while saying 'go on, I'll hold it off'! We somehow managed to escape thanks to Aqua's speed buffing spell, but I seriously thought I was gonna die boss! Why didn't you warn me about them!?"

Dust shouted before he gulped and hid behind Naruto when he felt murderous vibes from the girls.

"Excuse me, but who was dropped on their head as a baby!? You beg us to let you join our party, and this is how you repay our kindness? By calling us crazy? Apologize! Apologize for falsely accusing these beautiful women!"

Aqua shouted in a lecturing manner while pointing an accusing finger at the cowering Dust.

"You also promised to go on quests with us for three days, and it's only been a day! Tomorrow, let's go after that Rookie Killer again!"

Darkness said with an eager look on her face. It seemed she really wanted to fight that strong monster.

'Uwa… This guy must have had it rough.'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop before he noticed Megumin was only silently glaring. But she wasn't glaring at Dust. Looking behind him, Naruto found Jiraiya trying to sneak away.

"…Oi. Where do you think you're going?"

Hearing Megumin's low voice, Jiraiya stiffened.

Turning around, the sage grinned cheekily.

"W-why hello there little one! Fancy meeting a Crimson Magic Clansman in this town of beginners!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. Did Megumin and Jiraiya know each other?

"You've got a lot of nerve to call a lady little… But then again, a big oaf that knows nothing more than to peep wouldn't know proper etiquette."

Megumin said while shaking her head.

"H-how rude! Is that any way to talk to your elders, you brat!? Also, who would want to peep on a tiny thing like you? There's nothing to even look at! I like my girls nice and curvy, like your friend there! Now that's a lady worth peeping on!"

"!" x2

Megumin and Darkness both gawked at Jiraiya's sudden claims.

"A-as expected of the one that the Crimson Magic Clan has dubbed 'the number one peeping tom'…"

Megumin said while gripping her staff, her eyes glowing intensely.

"T-to think that such a man would appear and ogle at my voluptuous body… Naruto! Who is this man!? I don't think I'm mentally prepared for this new level of sexual harassment!"

Darkness grabbed Naruto's hands and demanded with a massive blush on her face.

"N-no, um… How should I put it? This is my mentor, Jiraiya-Sensei."

Naruto said awkwardly as he turned his gaze from the girl that was invading his personal bubble. Hopefully they didn't get the wrong idea and think he was a perverted peeper like his sensei.

"Pui!"

In the middle of Naruto's sentence, Megumin spit on ground. But before the whiskered teen could question the little girl, Darkness drew even closer to his face excitedly.

"I knew it! That must mean you really are a pervert on the inside! You being nice to me was all part of your scheme to get my guard down! Then, when I'm at a vulnerable state, you will strike with no mercy and claim me as your property!"

Darkness claimed with steam blowing out of her nose.

"Wh-what? Why the hell would I do that? No, I'm not a pervert like that guy… Aqua! Stop looking at me like I'm trash!"

Naruto pushed the strangely excited Darkness out of his face and pointed at Aqua, who was giving him a stone-cold look.

Dust, who seemed to have been forgotten, could only looked between the two arguments happening in front of him. He was about to escape, but Darkness reached out and grabbed his shoulder with an iron-like grip.

"Have you no shame!? The woman at the Crimson Magic Village weren't enough, you have to sexually harass my friend as well?"

Megumin pointed her staff at Jiraiya and said.

"I have nothing to be ashamed of! It was their fault for bathing in such a poorly guarded bathhouse!"

Jiraiya responded while looking away with his arms crossed.

"Oh yeah? Then why were you trying to sneak away just now?"

Megumin shot back, smirking when Jiraiya flinched.

"Th-that because…"

Jiraiya trailed off and glanced at Aqua, who hid behind Naruto when she noticed the man's gaze.

"Hey, Naruto… Why is that old guy staring at me? He was talking about Darkness' slutty body earlier; do you think he finally noticed my goddess-like figure?"

"Ngh! A-Aqua! That was low!"

Darkness complained, but the heavy blush and smile on her face gave away her true feelings.

"Don't say your friend has a slutty body."

Naruto scolded and flicked Aqua on the nose, earning scowl from the bluenette. But come to think of it, Jiraiya did come to this world before he and Kazuma did. So if Aqua was telling the truth about being a goddess, then wouldn't she have been the one to send him here? If so, then why was she acting like she didn't know the guy?

Jiraiya's eyes widened in realization before he visibly relaxed.

Aqua didn't remember Jiraiya.

"Wahahaha! I was worried over nothing! Well then, I'll be taking off then Naruto. Meet me at the caravan station when you're ready to go."

"Ah! He's running away!"

Megumin yelled when Jiraiya started walking away, and growled when the man looked back and pulled his eyelid down while sticking his tongue out mockingly.

'I wonder what happened between those two?'

Naruto thought before he turned to Aqua, and he couldn't help but pity the girl. How could you forget about someone like Jiraiya? With his height, white hair, and personality, the man could stand out anywhere like a sore thumb. Oh well, it wasn't his problem.

"Hey Aqua, do you know where Kazuma is? I need to ask him something."

"Kazuma? He's probably at the stables reading that book of his. Honestly, he's been reading that thing non-stop. He even yelled at me when I tried to look at one of them! It really must be porn if he was that adamant on keeping it to himself!"

Aqua huffed when she remembered how rude Kazuma had been to her earlier that morning. All she wanted to do was look at the book he had found so interesting.

'Well, you're not wrong…'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop before turning to Dust, who had crocodile tears streaming down his face.

"One more thing, Dust. I'm going on a trip with Ero-Senin for a couple days, a week at the longest. He says he might know of a mage that will join our party."

"Wait, did you say Ero-Senin!? That guy was THE Ero-Senin!? You have to get me an autograph Boss! I'm begging you!"

Dust suddenly regained his energy and grappled Naruto's collar.

"Alright alright, I'll get you an autograph! Just let go already! My poor jacket… and stop calling me Boss!"

* * *

With Dust out of the way, Naruto made his way to the stables where he thought he would be able to find Kazuma. He was sure Wiz would be fine on her own for the duration he would be gone, but he couldn't help but worry her Ramen Withdrawal Symptoms would be too much for her to bear on her own.

"But to think even Dust knew about Ero-Senin… Do all the guys in town know him? He did have that large crowd earlier."

Naruto wondered aloud as he walked into the stables to search for the stall that his friend was staying in.

"Kazuma! Are you here? I have a favor to… ask."

Naruto walked into the stall in the middle of the stable to find Kazuma laying on pile of hay that was covered by a blanket in a very lazy-like fashion. He was on his side with his back facing Naruto, and the jinchuuriki could see that he was holding a copy of Icha Icha Paradise.

"Nothing beats a day of relaxation! I deserve this, after being coldly rejected like that. Even after all the hardships this world has thrown at me! Stupid old man! Even though his books are really good…"

Kazuma said and reached back with his free hand and scratched his back.

'T-this guy…'

Naruto thought with a twitching eyebrow. He had expected Kazuma to be sad about Jiraiya reject him of being his mentor, but Kazuma looked okay to him.

"Hey, Kazuma."

"Hm?"

Kazuma turned his head to see Naruto standing in the opening of the stall. He had a piece of jerky sticking out of his mouth.

"Oh, Naruto? What are you doing here?"

"I came to ask for a favor…"

Naruto then explained the situation, but purposely left out Wiz's withdrawal effect.

"Hm… I see. But what do I get out of this? I'm a pretty busy guy, you see? Going out of my way to give your girlfriend a visit would only take up some of my precious time and make me jealous."

Kazuma said in a businessman-like tone, which was contradicting considering the way he was laying.

…Busy?

"Wiz isn't my girlfriend, I'm just worried she'll starve herself to death while I'm gone. But if you really want something in return, I can get Ero-Senin to sign another one of your books. How does that sound?"

Naruto offered with a twitching eyebrow.

Kazuma's eyes flashed, but he retained his poker face.

"Hm… You've got yourself a deal, Uzumaki-San."

* * *

 **A/N: Next chapter, Naruto and Jiraiya go on a trip! But to where? ;)**

 **Just to clear some things up, a few people have been telling me that I'm wrong to call Kurama a demon. I know he isn't a demon from hell, but is it wrong to say someone could confuse a mass of energy that gives off a shit ton of negative emotion with a demonic entity?**

 **To a holy figure like Aqua(lol), it's not wrong to think that she would call Kurama a demon if she senses an abundance of energy and killer intent. But that's just me.**

 **Well, hope you all had a happy New Year! See you all in the next one!**


	17. God Bless this Wonderful Wedding?

**A/N: Revised as of 4/1/2019**

* * *

 _Ah, Aqua-Sama! You have given me a naïve, handsome guy to pursue just as I was looking for another excuse to go to Axel Town... I will not let him escape!_ -?

* * *

After a day and a half's worth of travel by carriage, Naruto found himself standing on a bridge in the middle of a canyon. On the other side of the bridge-

"Woah! This place is amazing! Who knew there would be an oasis in the middle of this desert!"

-was the city of hot springs, Alcanretia.

Naruto leaned over the bridge as he marveled the beautiful city with saucer-like eyes.

' **I don't like this place. Let's destroy it.'**

Kurama suddenly said, and Naruto almost fell off the bridge.

'Come now, Kurama… we can't suddenly destroy a city we just visited, can we?'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop. But for some reason, he couldn't help but feel like he was forgetting something. Something important…

"What are you doing, Naruto?"

Jiraiya asked after paying the carriage driver for their trip.

"Ah, sorry. Kurama just said he doesn't like this place…"

Naruto responded sheepishly, and the older toad sage shivered at the mentioning of the nine-tailed fox.

"I-I see…"

Jiraiya had been a little more than surprised when Naruto told him that he still had Kurama sealed inside of him, and even more so when Naruto mentioned that they were now friends. It was to be expected, since Jiraiya had almost died when they loosened the seal during their training trip.

"So, the mage is in this city? If they're in a place like this, are they a water mage or something?"

"Nope. We're not even half-way to our destination. I just wanted to pay a friend of mine a visit before we continued any further."

Jiraiya said as the two began to walk across the long bridge towards the city.

"Eh… Then I guess I'll explore the city a bit. Who knows when I'll come back here."

Naruto said with a disinterested look in his eye. Knowing his sensei, his 'friend' was probably just another pervert who he exchanged ero-mags with.

"I thought you'd say that, so let me warn you…"

Jiraiya said as the two stopped at the end of the bridge, just outside of the town's main plaza. It was rather busy too, with people walking around, browsing at the various food stands. Someone was even standing in front of the fountain in the middle of the plaza handing out flyers.

"Alcanretia, the city famous for its rich hot springs. It is also the Axis Cult's home base."

"The Axis Cult?"

Naruto looked at thee fountain in the middle of the plaza and found that in the middle of the water, stood a statue of a figure that resembled a certain loudmouthed Arch Priest he knew.

'Ah, so that's what I was forgetting…'

While Naruto was doing his research on Aqua and the Axis Cultist, he had learned that Alcanretia was indeed the Cult's infamous headquarters. It just had nothing to do with his prank, so he'd forgotten.

"Home base, or not. This place probably isn't that bad, right?"

Naruto said while shaking his head. The Axis Cult had a lot of rumors surrounding it, some being that they were dangerous people, but Naruto dismissed them as exaggerations. After all, Aqua may be a little annoying at times, but she wasn't a bad person.

"…"

Not hearing a response, Naruto turned to find that Jiraiya was no longer standing next to him. In fact, he couldn't see the old pervert anywhere. Which was weird because Naruto could still sense the man's presence… Was he hiding somewhere close by?

"But why did he-"

"Hello there, traveler!"

Naruto jumped when a loud voice suddenly shouted right next to him. He turned to find the man that had been handing out flyers was grinning at him with an ear-splitting smile.

"Welcome to Alcanretia! The city where the great goddess, Aqua-Sama, blessed us with the world's richest hot springs! Isn't that amazing? Doesn't such an amazing fact make you want to join the Axis Cult?"

"I'm not interested in joining a cult, sorry."

"Ah, well if that's the case, please take this flyer in case you change your mind!"

The cheerful man said and placed a piece of paper into the blonde's hands.

The jinchuuriki took one look at the paper and saw that it was a contract of sorts, most likely the form you turned in to the Axis Cult to join.

"No no no… Like I said, I'm not interested so you can this back-"

Naruto tried to hand the paper back to the man, but the Axis Cultist pushed his hands back.

"No no no! I insist!"

"But I'm just going to throw it away later…"

"That's okay! Just knowing that you looked at this hand out letter gives me hope that you'll make the right decision to join!"

Naruto sweatdropped at the man's impressive strength to keep the flyer in his hands.

'W-what's up with this guy…?'

After eventually giving up and taking the flyer, Naruto began to explore the busy streets of the hot spring city.

Or rather, he tried to.

It hadn't even been a full minute when Naruto was approached by another Axis Cultist handing out flyers.

"Greetings! How would you like to join the greatest cult in the world? I'm talking about the Axis Cult of course!"

"I already have a flyer, thanks…"

It seemed that wasn't enough to satisfy the cultist, and so Naruto was forced to hold onto another registration form.

'Even though I already had one… These people sure don't like to take no for an answer.'

Naruto thought as he stared at the two registration flyers in his hands. He'd feel bad if he just threw them away, but he had a feeling he was going to be receiving more flyers by the time he met back up with Jiraiya.

"Ah~! Someone! Anyone! Help me~!"

Hearing a woman cry for help, Naruto immediately dropped the flyers and jumped to the rooftops to search.

The woman wasn't too far from his location, so Naruto was able to find her rather easily. She seemed to be a priest, if the blue nun attire where to go by, and she was laying on the ground just outside of an alleyway as if she had just crawled out. A man dressed in black robes was towering over her with an evil look on his face.

For some reason, the people nearby were either ignoring the scene or just up and walked away. What was wrong with those people!?

Landing between the two with a soft thud, Naruto kneeled next to the female and looked for any signs of injury while keeping the male in his peripheral vision.

"Are you alright, miss? What happened?"

The woman seemed to have been surprised by the blonde's sudden appearance from the sky, but quickly shook away the shock and looked up at Naruto with teary eyes.

"That evil Eris Cultist stole my purse and said if I wanted it back, I had to pay for it with my voluptuous body!"

If it weren't for the fact that this was a serious situation, Naruto would have blushed. The girl rather beautiful, with long flowing blonde hair and wide blue eyes staring up at him hopefully. Naruto glared at the accused Eris Cultist, which sent shivers down the man's spine.

"If you don't want to get your ass kicked for making this girl cry, I'd suggest you leave what you stole and get the hell out of here."

"H-h-heh! Y-you seem pretty strong, boy! Looks like I have no choice but to retreat for now!"

The man sputtered before he turned around and escaped into the alley.

"Ah, wait! Return the purse you stole first!"

Naruto shouted at the fleeting robber, but it was too late. The man was gone.

"Don't worry, I'll go get your purse back and-"

Naruto was about to give chase when he felt a light tug on his pants.

"N-no… Can you please stay here with me?"

The priestess asked meekly with her head low. She seemed to be rather shaken up by the whole experience, so all Naruto could do was nod and wait for her to calm down.

They were the only two people in the street. All the other people had left, leaving the area empty. You would think someone would have called for the police by now.

After a couple minutes, Naruto looked down at the girl who was still holding onto his pants.

"Hey, are you okay now?"

 **Gurgle!**

Naruto couldn't see the woman's face but judging by how red her ears were, he assumed she must have been very embarrassed. Naruto scratched his cheeks awkwardly. It was obvious she was hungry, and since the thief was now long gone with her purse…

"Um… I was thinking about getting a bite to eat just now. Would you like to join me? Seeing as you just lost your purse, it'll be my treat-"

"R-really!? You don't mind!? Oh, to think I would meet such a kind and handsome boy that would save me in my time of need, and then treat me… I truly feel blessed! I thank you, Aqua-Sama!"

The blonde woman shot up and said with tears in her eyes as she prayed to the sky, prompting the ninja to take a step back.

'Geh! 'Aqua-Sama'!? Then that means…!'

Naruto thought with sweat trailing down his face when the girl grabbed his arm and led him down the street.

"Then, let us be off! I know of the perfect place for our first date!"

"Wait a second, were you really just robbed? Why are you happy so suddenly? Or rather, when did this become a date!?"

Naruto asked, but his questions were happily ignored by the cheerful priestess.

"By the way, my name is Cecily! I'm a devote priestess of the Axis cult! What is the name of my hero~?"

Cecily asked with a charming smile, and Naruto couldn't help but blush. This girl really was pretty… But were all the Axis Cultists really like this? It seemed he underestimated the cult that followed Aqua, and now he would suffer.

"Naruto…"

* * *

"Ah~! To think you would take me to the most romantic restaurant in Alcanretia! Are you trying to seduce me? Don't lie, or you might succeed!"

Cecily chirped after taking a sip from a glass of wine. A very expensive glass of wine.

'That's because you brought me here!'

Naruto thought with a twitching eyebrow.

They were sitting at a table inside a fancy restaurant, and music that was fit the setting was being played by a group of well-dressed men. Streams of water that seemed to ignore the laws of gravity flowed above them along the ceiling, and Naruto assumed it was some sort of magical decoration.

But with his tattered jacket and pants, Naruto had no idea why they even let him in. He stuck out like a sore thumb in such an extravagant place, and even then, no one so much as batted an eye when he walked in. He was beginning to wonder if Cecily was actually an amazing person.

"Just drinking this stuff is giving me my extra lives back! I've been eating nothing but todoroki slime for the past three days. Ah, but don't tell anyone I said that! Todoroki slime is illegal for some reason!"

"…"

Was she toying with him? Was this part a plot to get him to join the Axis Cult? All Naruto wanted to do was explore the city, but after only meeting three people he already wanted to go home.

"I have to meet up with my sensei at the bridge pretty soon, so..."

"Oh? Would you rather sign the recruitment form now?"

Cecily asked innocently, placing an Axis Cult recruitment flyer onto the table.

'This girl doesn't waste any time! But this is bad… Cecily seems to give off a stronger signal than the other Axis Cultists I've met!'

Naruto thought as he looked around for any means of escape, only to gulp when he found that the entrance to the restaurant was being blocked by a security guard.

"Come now, don't be shy! The Axis Cult could use a strong devotee such as yourself!"

Cecily said as she pushed the flyer towards the opposite end of the table.

"N-no, I don't want to join! Why do you people keep asking when I say no!?"

"But aren't you a kind person that wastes no time to help others? Or, could it be…! Don't tell me you only helped me because you were after my voluptuous body too!?"

What nonsense was this priestess saying?

"No, I wasn't after your body! I'm not that kind of man! I would go after a girl's heart first!"

Naruto spouted out in embarrassment while pointing at Cecily.

"E-eh? What is this, a confession? Oh my… I wasn't mentally prepared for this! But I must admit it was love at first sight for me too! So, I say yes to your proposal! Please take care of me in sickness and in health! Oh, and you'll have to convert to the Axis Cult too~!"

Cecily said and clasped her rosy cheeks, and the people inside the restaurant began to clap and cheer.

Naruto's arm dropped to his side, his ears turning red in frustration.

"How did you go from that to marriage… No, I'm done with this place. Here's some money for the wine."

Naruto said in a monotone voice and placed the appropriate amount of Eris on the table, which was more than half of the contents of his wallet. He then turned around and started walking towards the exit. He a lot of shuffling behind him, but Naruto just kept walking without turning back. He would fight anyone that tried to get in his way.

But just as Naruto neared the unintimidated security guard, the sound of music could be heard behind him.

Daring to turn around, Naruto's eyes nearly flew out of their sockets when he saw that the restaurant had been split to make a single walkway. At the end of the walkway stood Cecily, dressed in a beautiful white dress holding a flower bouquet. Whirling back towards the exit, Naruto saw that the security guard was now smiling while holding a book in his hands much like a pastor at a wedding.

'They were all in on this!? That's why they let me into this fancy restaurant! I gotta get the hell out of here!'

Naruto looked around for an alternative exit. He didn't want to hurt anyone if he could help it, but if push comes to shove-

"Hear comes the bride~! All dressed in white~! Oh, Aqua-Sama! Thank you for blessing me with a handsome young man to take care of me, and feed me tasty todoroki slime while he says 'Ah'!"

Cecily said while looking up at the stain-glass windows on the ceiling that had a design of a woman with blue hair, and Naruto could only guess who that person was.

'Like hell I'm gonna do that!'

Naruto thought when an idea came to him. It would be a long shot, but Cecily was already half-way down the aisle and he didn't want to find out what would happen if she made it to his end.

"Look, that person is an Eris cultist who plans to crash the wedding!"

Naruto shouted and pointed to a random person to his left, and said person didn't even have time to squeak when the pastor/security guard tackled him.

Taking advantage of the temporary distraction, Naruto ran out of the doors to his freedom.

After a couple seconds of running as fast as his legs could carry him, Naruto slowed to a walking pace.

"That was a close one… Just a second longer and I would have been forced to marry that crazy girl. Are all Axis Cultists really like that?"

Naruto said with a sigh. But at least it was all over now, and Jiraiya was probably done with his business by now and the bridge in front of the city where his sensei was likely waiting for him was nearby.

"You will not escape me that easily!"

"!?"

Against all odds, Naruto saw Cecily running down the street in her white dress.

"How in the world did you catch up to me in that dress!?"

Naruto shouted in disbelief. He ran away from the restaurant as fast as he could, and even jumped over a few buildings! Could it be this Cecily person really was an amazing person!?

"You said you were meeting at the bridge, I came right here! I know this city like the back of my hand! The fact that you almost beat me is quite impressive, Naruto-San! As expected of my future husband!"

Cecily boasted with pride.

"Who might your future husband be!? I don't mean to be rude, but I don't want anything to do with you OR your cult!"

Naruto retorted, mentally cursing his slip of the tongue.

'Kurama! Let's get out of here!'

' **Agreed. I'm sick of this place. It's like it's filled with thousands of that annoying false goddess. Shame we can't just blow this damn place to smithereens.'**

With that thought, Naruto's body flickered out of Cecily's vision in a yellow flash.

"Eh? Was that teleport magic? No… Perhaps he was just that fast."

Cecily said as she slowly came to a stop at a nearby bench and sat down. Her feet were killing her.

"Though our paths may differ now, Naruto-San… In the name of Aqua-Sama, I will not let you escape!"

* * *

Jiraiya stood at the beginning of the bridge, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for Naruto. One moment he was staring at the weirdly shaped statue of Aqua, and the next he was being dragged across the bridge.

"Wh-what the hell are you doi-Gublurgh!"

Jiraiya began to say with swirling eyes, but the alcohol that he had shared with his friend was not agreeing with his stomach about the flashy movement.

"Sorry Ero-Senin, but we have to leave now! I was being chased by a-Ew! Hey, wait a second! Why are you getting sick!? Are you drunk!?"

Naruto panicked when Jiraiya began empty his stomach as he was dragged along before going limp. Jiraiya's unconscious form hung like a ragdoll as Naruto made it across the rather long bridge within seconds.

Naruto decided that the next time he saw Aqua, he was gonna smack her for having such strange followers.

* * *

 **A/N: There you have it! Naruto's brief visit to Alcanretia! I wonder if he'll ever want to go back…**

 **Shout out to Acidash for going beta mode and making this chapter squeaky clean!**


	18. Just Like Old Times

**A/N: Should have done this in the last chapter, but from here on out the chapters are going to contain content from the light novels... Read at your own risk of spoilers! :)**

XXXXXXXX

After Naruto felt satisfied with the distance he'd put between himself and Alcanretia, he slowed to a stop and propped Jiraiya against a tree.

"Geh… I thought I was going to die!"

Jiraiya gasped to catch his breath and clutched his pounding heart.

"When did you get so fast, kid? Is that the Kyuubi's chakra?"

"Yeah, and it's Kurama. He'll get angry if you keep calling him that."

Naruto replied absentmindedly as he looked around the forest he'd stopped in for any signs of monsters. When he didn't see any potential threats, and he let out a sigh and reverted back to his base form.

"I can't sense any monsters nearby so we're good."

"That makes sense. We're near the city of Alcanretia, which is full of Axis Cult members. Only high leveled monsters like Rookie Killers ever come close to that place."

Jiraiya said with a wave of his hand, and Naruto sweatdropped. Even monsters feared the Axis Cult… that was scary.

"By the way… Does that mode heighten your senses?"

Jiraiya asked as he dusted himself off. He was rather curious as to what else Naruto was capable of with the Kyuu-Kurama's chakra than being able to flee from a city at impossible speeds. After all, they had spent a good portion of their training trip working on that power. If Naruto was confident enough in his friendship with the demon fox to bring it with him to this world, then he must have mastered using its chakra.

"I can sense the negative emotions in people while using Kurama's chakra and create chakra limbs and mini Biju-bombs."

Naruto stated proudly, prompting the old sage's eyes to widen. He also wanted to brag about how he mastered sage mode too, but he decided to save that for another time and savor the moment.

"Wahaha! Look at you, so full of variety in your attacks! I'm sure you even managed to perfect the Rasengan after I left, so I think you might have even surpassed the Fourth Hokage by now!"

Jiraiya laughed heartily and ruffled his student's hair. He remembered back when all Naruto's only strategy was to spam Shadow Clones in hopes to overwhelm his opponents with sheer numbers! As crafty as the brat was with his clones, it could only get him so far in the world of ninjutsu. But with all these new techniques, Naruto was surely a force to be reckoned with. He couldn't be prouder of his prized pupil!

"Hehe… Of course I surpassed my old man, ya know!"

Naruto snickered, and Jiraiya stopped ruffling the blonde's hair.

"…So you know about your father."

Obviously, it wasn't a question. Jiraiya hadn't told Naruto about Minato or Kushina. He had planned to do so after he returned from his last mission, but… Things didn't turn out the way he'd hoped.

"Yeah… After Nagato attacked the village, Kurama almost broke free and dad fixed the seal."

Naruto said with a sad smile, his hand unconsciously going to his stomach. His grin grew when he heard an indignant grunt in the back of his mind.

"I see…"

Jiraiya said in an almost whispered tone. The mood then turned gloomy the two fell silent for a couple of minutes.

"…I don't resent you for not telling me."

Naruto suddenly said, and Jiraiya seemed surprised to hear that.

"I mean, how could I? My dad had a lot of enemies, and if word got out that Minato Namikaze had a son, I would have had a lot more to worry about than just being a Jinchuuriki."

Naruto laughed while rubbing the back of his head. Besides, it's not like he had been miserable because Jiraiya hadn't told him about his parents. Just like his mother, Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto lived a happy life with friends and loved ones.

"Naruto…"

Jiraiya was at a loss of words. But before he had the chance to even think of a way to respond, Naruto suddenly shouted and jumped onto a nearby tree.

"Ah! What are we doing!? We gotta hurry and go find that mage you were telling me about! Where to next, Ero-Senin?"

Naruto said and peered around the forest like sailor in the crow's nest.

Jiraiya chuckled and hopped onto the tree next to Naruto. All this talk about Konoha was making him feel a little homesick too.

"Luckily, you ran in the right direction when you brought us out of the city. In fact, we're not too far from the trail that leads to our destination."

"Alright! Let's go!"

—After a couple hours of tree hopping Naruto and Jiraiya had set up camp when the sun went down, it was dangerous to travel at night due to the increase in monster activity.

They took turns keeping watch every few hours. It almost felt like old times when they would set up camp when they couldn't find an inn to stay at.

Morning came fast and there hadn't been any monster attacks, so Naruto and Jiraiya cleared their campsite and took to the trees again.

"I've been wondering… What did you bring to this world, Ero-Senin?"

Naruto asked Jiraiya as they soared through the treetops.

"Item?"

"You know, before you appeared in Axel Town. The goddess gave you something to help you defeat the demon king, right?"

"Oh, right…"

Jiraiya gained a sour expression as he fell into thought, as if he was reminiscing on an unpleasant memory.

"I was given a suit of armor, and I looked pretty damn cool in it. But… we got into an argument and it ran away."

Naruto's face scrunched up weirdly. There was something seriously wrong with what his master just said.

"…Ran away?"

"Oh! Hold up, kid! There's a monster up ahead! As an adventurer, you can't ignore this one!"

Jiraiya said and descended from the trees towards the ground, and it seemed Naruto had no choice but to follow.

They both landed on the ground in the middle of a rough path in the middle of the forest. The trail seemed to stretch on for miles.

Naruto looked around for the monster they had stopped for, but the only things he could see was the sea of trees.

'…No, wait.'

Upon further inspection, Naruto spotted a girl with green hair sitting atop a boulder in the distance. She seemed to be injured, if the bloodied bandage on her left ankle meant anything.

Naruto was about to rush over when Jiraiya placed a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up in confusion.

"What are you doing? That girl needs help!"

Jiraiya shook his head and pointed at the girl.

"That's a monster, kid. It looks like a human, sure. But in reality, it's a plant that tricks people into staying with them forever. You got a monster manual from the adventurer's guild, right? Check that if you don't believe me."

Naruto sent his teacher an incredulous look before looking back at the injured girl, and he couldn't help but feel the need to help her.

'But he did mention the guild's manual for monsters, so I guess it wouldn't hurt to check…'

Fishing the book out of his pouch, Naruto scanned the pages for a monster that matched Jiraiya's description and found a page with an illustration that looked eerily similar to the girl siting on the rock just a short distance from them.

Naruto gulped.

The monster was known as a "Tranquility Girl", which is a plant-based monster that takes the form of a young injured woman. This monster was a must kill on sight for adventurers not because it was ferocious, but because it charmed the unwitty into protecting them until that person dies of starvation. The Tranquility Girl then absorbs the victim's body of all their nutrients.

What made killing this monster hard was that-

The tranquility girl seemed to notice them and cheerfully waved, causing Naruto's face to pale.

-its appearance made it seem like you're killing an innocent human.

Naruto was trained to be an assassin since an early age, but he had never actually done any assassination missions. Much less killed an innocent person!

Monster or not, this whole situation was heartbreaking!

As Naruto's mind jumbled over his morale standards, Jiraiya stepped forward.

'Ah, that's right… Jiraiya-Sensei's probably killed these things before. I'll just let him take care of it.'

Naruto thought and quickly followed the older man.

They stopped in front of the Tranquility Girl, who had been waving at them the whole time. Upon reaching the monster, she opened her mouth.

"Help… me?"

The Tranquility Girl said in a weak voice as she stared at them with hope-filled eyes. It seemed the monster learned how to speak the human language, which made her disguise all the more believable.

Naruto felt his heart breaking. This wasn't a girl in front of him, but a monster disguised as one. He knew that. But the way she spoke, the way she flinched in pain as she reached for her bandaged leg… It was just too much for him!

"Sorry, but we know what you are. As a (former)adventurer, I can't ignore your presence here in this forest."

Jiraiya said sternly, seemingly unaffected by the Tranquility Girl's human-like appearance. This impressed Naruto, as he hadn't seen his mentor this serious in a long time. Maybe Jiraiya hadn't just been messing around this whole time?

"Help… me?"

The monster girl reached her hands out and offered what looked to be fruit.

"I'm not interested in your nutrition-less monster food."

"…"

The Tranquility Girl gained a troubled look.

Knowing what was about to come next, Naruto turned away and looked at the information on the Tranquility Girl in his monster book again. Apparently, the Tranquility Girl bore fruit and would give them to the people they tricked into staying so they didn't feel hungry. But the problem was, those fruits didn't have any nutrients, so they would eventually die from hunger.

…How cruel.

Jiraiya reached into his jacket and pulled out a dagger.

"Well, no hard feelings-"

"Help… me?"

"!?"

Hearing his master make a strange noise, Naruto put his book back and turned back to find Jiraiya staring at the Tranquility Girl's chest. Wait, was the monster's chest always that big!?

"Ero-Senin… You can't possibly-"

Naruto's words died in his mouth. This was a man who asked a little boy to turn into a naked woman for his own perverted amusement. Of course Jiraiya would be charmed by a monster with big breasts!

"D-don't look at me like that! I was just taken by surprise is all!"

Jiraiya quickly laid out his defense, then turned back to see the Tranquility Girl sticking out her full chest suggestively.

"But to think the Tranquility Girl had the ability to change their bust… Geheheh…"

"That's just wrong on so many levels…"

Naruto sighed. It seemed he'd have to take matters into his own hands…

"Move, Ero-Senin. I'll handle this."

"Eh? Are you sure, kid?"

Jiraiya asked, surprised that Naruto wanted to. To his knowledge, Naruto had never killed an innocent person, which was why killing a Tranquility Girl would be extremely hard for him. That's why Jiraiya decided he'd take care of the monster… Although he did get a little distracted.

"Geheheh…"

Naruto shook his head when Jiraiya began to stare at the Tranquility Girl's ample chest again.

"Just move, Ero-Senin! I'll do it myself!"

"Alright, alright! I get it! Quit shoving me!"

Jiraiya complained and gave Naruto some room. Killing a Tranquility Girl didn't require that much effort, it was more of a phycological battle. But Jiraiya still wasn't sure if Naruto would be able to handle it on his own.

Naruto turned back to the monster girl, only to find it staring at him with a small smile on its face. This was going to be a lot harder than he thought…

' **Why are you hesitating? You know it's a monster, so just get it over with and kill it.'**

'Easier said than done, Kurama. Every time I think about attacking this monster, she stares at me with those sad eyes…'

' **Then give me control. I'll give that monster a swift, and painless death.'**

'…No. This is something I gotta learn to do, and I don't want you destroying another forest.'

' **Tch… Have it your way. Don't come crying to me when you chicken out then.'**

Kurama grumbled and cut off their mental cable.

Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Right in front of him was a monster that posed a threat to the people that passed by this place. If he didn't kill it now, it would pose a threat to those people later.

'It's just a monster… It's just a monster… Okay, I got this.'

Brimming with determination, Naruto opened his eyes-

"Help… Me?"

"Gah! I can't do it!"

Naruto's determination was instantly shattered when he saw the Tranquility Girl offering him a piece of fruit with puppy dog eyes.

"It's no use… I can't do it."

"?"

The Tranquility Girl tilted its head to the side when Naruto fell to his hands and knees.

Jiraiya sighed, but he expected this outcome. Naruto was a hard worker, and a skilled fighter, but his mind still wasn't fit . But they could work on that. After all, Naruto was still young and inexperienced.

'I wonder if that's the reason he… No, it's best I don't ask that.'

Jiraiya thought but quickly stopped and shook his head. He was hesitant to ask Naruto about his death for the same likely reason Naruto hadn't asked about his. It was best not to delve on it until Naruto was ready to talk.

XXXXXXXX

 **A Few Minutes Later…**

Naruto and Jiraiya were back on the trail. They walked in silence, but mostly because Naruto was grumbling to himself.

If Jiraiya hadn't been there, Naruto still had Kurama so it wasn't like there would have been a real problem. But it was still frustrating that he couldn't kill the Tranquility Girl.

Naruto looked up at his mentor, who was a few paces ahead of him. Jiraiya had turned dead serious after Naruto failed before he killed the Tranquility Girl, and it was quite surprising.

At that moment, Naruto was reminded how different they were in terms of experience.

Naruto may have gotten stronger, but Jiraiya was still so much more experienced than he was.

'Maybe he wasn't just messing around this whole time…'

Rustle!

The two halted in their steps when the bushes in front of them started rustling.

'Is that… a pig?'

Naruto thought when a pig humanoid wearing fur armor stepped out onto the path. The monster looked around the path but found nothing suspicious, so it turned back into the forest.

Jiraiya, who had hidden behind a tree just before the monster appeared, looked over to Naruto, who was also hiding behind a tree.

'Good, he hid. We're getting close to our destination, but we wouldn't want to mess with those… No wait!'

Jiraiya signaled for Naruto to stop when the blonde signaled he was going to attack, but it was too late.

"Take this, you stupid pig!"

Naruto shouted as he lunged forward, and the monster turned around just as he kicked it in the face and sent it through a tree. When the monster made no signs of getting up, Naruto wiped his hands and turned to his mentor.

"Well that was easy. Shall we keep going?"

"…"

Jiraiya stood there silently, his hand still outstretched.

'Naruto just defeated _that_ monster… But we're almost there so we should be fine…'

Jiraiya nodded and silently started walking down the path with Naruto, albeit a little faster paced.

"Hey, there's two more of those monsters following us. Don't worry, I'll take care of them."

Naruto said and turned around to face their pursuers.

Jiraiya merely hummed in acknowledgment and continued walking, his pace increasing ever so slightly.

"Wh-what the…! There's more of you? Quick following us you stupid pigs!"

Crash!

A bead of sweat trailed down Jiraiya's face as he hurried along the trail. At this point, he was almost at jogging speeds.

Rumble…!

A sound that was close to an earthquake began to grumble and was growing louder at a steady rate. It almost sounded like a stampede of sorts…

Jiraiya had a good idea as to what the noise was, but he looked back anyway and saw Naruto sprinting down the trail towards him, a large cloud of dust chasing after the blonde.

"Ero-Senin! HELP ME!"

Naruto screamed as he ran towards his teacher like his life depended on it. He didn't dare look back, because he was currently being chased by the enemy of all men…

"Come back here, darling~!"

"We've never seen such a strong and _handsome_ young man before~!"

"Won't you come back to our village and spare us a few of your genes~?"

Female Orcs.

Freakish pig humanoid monsters with an abnormal sexual appetite. He didn't notice it before, but some of which had animal parts on various portions of their bodies. Cat ears, dog tails, pig noses… They were truly disturbing creatures to look at.

"NOOOOO!"

Naruto screamed with tears streaming down his face. The first couple monster he faced weren't much of a threat, he simply knocked them out with a single punch or kick.

But then more came.

Then more, and more, and more, and more until there was an army of the hideous monsters chasing after him. All of which were lusting after him for his "superior genes", which scared the living hell out of Naruto.

It was then Naruto remembered reading the article on female orcs in his monster manual, and how they sought out for strong males of all species to breed with.

If they captured him, Naruto would lose something very important.

'No no no! Don't think of that now! Just keep going to Ero-Senin! He'll know how to get rid of them since he's strangely reliable when it comes to monsters!'

Naruto thought as he continued to run towards his perverted, yet reliable mentor. But for some reason, he was having trouble catching up…

"Hey! Stop running and help me!"

"No way, brat! Even I don't mingle with female orcs! Just look at them! You take care of them!"

Jiraiya shouted without looking back, and just like that, Naruto's previous views were out the window.

"Give me back my thoughts of respect!"

Naruto could have just used one of his more powerful techniques to destroy them all in one go, but then the forest around him would be devastated. Luna had scolded him once after he destroyed a sizable portion of the forest outside of Axel Town, saying something about him messing with the ecosystem of the monsters. She had been furious then, and he could only imagine how angry she'd be if he wiped out an entire forest.

Luna already had her hands full dealing with the adventurers on top of managing the town's problems, so Naruto didn't want to add anymore to her workload if he could help it.

So, escape it was.

Naruto looked back to check if they were out speeding the orcs, but strangely enough, he found that they had slowed to a stop while he and Jiraiya had been bickering with one another.

'Huh? That's weird… They look like their scared of something.'

"Hah Hah! We did it! We made it!"

Jiraiya said as he slowed to a stop to catch his breath. He then turned around and pulled down his eyelid tauntingly.

"Take that, you beasts! Once again, the great Jiraiya-Sama has avoided your tainted claws! Wahahaha!"

Naruto panted heavily as he watched his mentor taunt the female orcs while howling with laughter.

"But… Why did they stop?"

Jiraiya let out a relieved sigh before placing an arm around Naruto's shoulder.

"That, kid, is because we made it! We're here!"

"Okay… But where is here?"

Naruto deadpanned when Jiraiya didn't even answer his question. Judging by the reaction of the female orcs, he assumed they feared wherever "here" was. But why did Jiraiya bother to keep where they were going a secret this whole time?

And why did Naruto feel like the answer should be obvious to him?

"Why don't we keep going and find out?"

Jiraiya said with a sly grin on his face, and lead Naruto off the path.

Off to the distance in the direction the two sages were traveling, a small village could be seen in the middle of the dense forest.

XXXXXXXX

 **A/N: I'm back with another update! Sorry for the delay!**

 **Next time, Naruto meets the mysterious mage! I wonder who it is… ;)**

 **P.S. Anyone else play the Sea of Thieves closed beta? That game is so beautiful! I can't wait for the full release!**


	19. Venturing into this Village of Wizards

**A/N: Shout out to Acidash for going Beta-Mode for this chapter.**

XXXXXXXX

After catching up with his long-lost mentor, surviving a brief encounter with the Axis Cultists, and escaping the clutches of lusty orc woman, Naruto found himself standing at the front gates of a small village.

The Crimson Magic Village.

'I should have known… I mean, Ero-Senin said he knew a mage that would probably go on hard quests with me.'

Naruto thought with a bitter smile on his face as he took in the scenery. He knew very little about the Home of the Crimson Magic, but from what Megumin had told him it was a town full of Arch Wizards. Which is one of the reasons Naruto felt he should have guessed this was where Jiraiya was taking him.

At the front of the entrance to the village stood a very realistic looking statue. It had the head and wings of an eagle, and the body of a lion.

Jiraiya followed the blonde's gaze and walked over to the statue.

"This is a griffon, which is one of the monsters from the quest you want to take on."

"It must be pretty strong if the Crimson Magic Clan keeps a statue of one at the front of their village."

Naruto said as he marveled at how life-like the statue was. Just looking at the monster made him grow excited.

"Actually, this poor sucker made the mistake of flying into the village and got petrified by one of the mages. They decided keep it here as a landmark where groups could meet up."

Jiraiya said while patting the griffon statue a few times.

"…Eh?"

Naruto gaped as his mentor walked past him. From what Luna had told him about griffons, they were one of the more powerful monsters out there. Which was part of the reason why the quest he wanted to take required him forming a party of experienced adventurers in the first place.

Megumin was the only Crimson Magic Clansman he knew, and the girl was a short-fused kid who could only use one spell a day. While that spell was super powerful, it was also very inefficient in battle.

But for someone to turn such a powerful beast into stone and casually decide to keep it as reference point in the village… Was the Crimson Magic Clan actually something amazing?

Naruto shook his head and followed Jiraiya into the village.

As they walked through the entrance, Naruto sensed an overwhelming magical presence. But it wasn't hard to tell where it was coming from as the people going about their day strolled by. He could sense a great amount of mana from each and every person that walked passed them. Even the children running around had an abnormal amount of mana in them.

As expected of a town of mages.

"It seems you're able to sense all the mana in the villagers. That's funny, since I don't remember you being a sensor type at all back then."

Jiraiya said, and Naruto snickered.

"Of course! Learning how to sense mana was one of the first things I trained for when I got here!"

Naruto stated proudly, and Jiraiya seemed impressed. If that was enough to impress the older man, Naruto couldn't wait to see the look on Jiraiya's face when he showed him Sage Mode.

But the mana wasn't the only thing Naruto had noticed.

"You know, everyone here is kinda dressed like Megumin. Actually, they all kinda look like Megumin."

Naruto said as he took in the appearance of all the mages they passed by. Just like the little girl back in Axel Town, the mages here all had black hair and red eyes and were wearing a mixture of black and red clothing with capes.

"Of course. Befitting of their name, the Crimson Magic Clansman love the colors black and red. So, they all wear those colors."

Jiraiya briefly explained about the Crimson Magic Clan.

Naruto hummed in response as they continued to walk passed a couple homes, a café, and a blacksmith's shop before Jiraiya suddenly stopped in front of what looked to be a tailor's store.

"Is this where the mage is?"

Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow. Was the mage Jiraiya mentioned a tailor? Not that he really cared, so long as they could fight monsters. But a mage that worked as a tailor sounded kind of strange to him.

"No, we're here because we need to do something about that jacket of yours. Look at that thing, it looks like your old jumpsuit all those years ago. No student of the great Jiraiya-Sama is going to run around in rags."

Jiraiya started spouting a bunch of nonsense about Naruto's worn out orange and black jacket.

"Hey, it's not that bad! My poor baby just needs a few more stitches…"

Naruto defended his precious orange attire with a frown. He was thinking about getting new clothes anyway, but something about Jiraiya's word choice ticked him off.

While he did agree his old jacket had seen better days, it wasn't like it was falling apart or anything. When it got torn while he was on a quest, Aqua had offered to stitch it up for him in exchange for some booze. She was surprisingly good at crafty tasks like that.

But apparently good wasn't enough for Jiraiya if the man was telling him to get some new clothes.

Jiraiya rolled his eyes.

"I'm not telling you to throw away your precious jacket, I'm just saying you need some new gear. This tailor is the best in the village, and that armor shop back there can make you some enchanted armor if you want."

In reality, it was the only tailor shop in the village. But that didn't matter.

"…Fine. I guess I can't meet this mage without looking my best."

Naruto admitted and walked into the shop, but Jiraiya didn't follow.

"Are you not coming in?"

"Nah, I don't get along with the shop's owner. Go on without me, I'll wait here."

Jiraiya said and gestured for Naruto to go inside by waving his hand.

Naruto cocked an eyebrow. Didn't he just say this place was the best in the village? Then why was he suggesting Naruto go here to get his new outfit?

Deciding it was better not to ask, Naruto walked inside the tailor shop. Inside there were various clothes, mostly black and red, on display on shelves and hangers. Naruto spotted two people standing by a counter, a man and a young girl. By the sharp look the man was giving him, Naruto assumed he was the shop owner and the girl was a customer. Upon meeting his gaze, the girl quickly turned away and looked at the floor.

"I'll be with you in a moment, let me finish things up here."

"N-no! It's okay, I can wait! I still haven't decided if I want to buy this outfit yet anyway!"

The girl frantically said and walked away from the counter to browse the displays.

"Alright then. What can I help you with, outsider?"

The shop owner faced Naruto and asked with a stern expression.

"Um… I was told this was best tailor shop in the village?"

Naruto asked while looking around the shop for anything in the color orange, and in the meantime, the man grinned and flicked his cape.

"Heh… Your source is correct! I am Chekera! Arch Mage who wields advanced magic and shop owner of the number one tailor shop in the Crimson Magic Clan!"

Yikes.

Naruto scratched his cheek awkwardly. Strange name aside, this grown man had just introduced himself in a similar manner to Megumin. Could this be a thing that all Crimson Magic Clansman did?

"That's great to hear! Do you happen to make things in orange?"

"I don't usually make clothes in such strange colors, but since I'm in a good mood I'll charge you the normal amount!"

"Th-thanks…"

"Now then, what kind of clothes were you thinking of? Any particular design? Style?"

Chekera asked as he grabbed a box from the floor and placed it on the counter, he then looked inside the box and grimaced before quickly closing it.

Naruto rubbed his chin in thought as he looked at the different styles of clothing in the shop. What kind of clothes should he get? There were some cloaks that reminded him of the sage cloak Ma and Pa had given him when he first mastered sage mode, or maybe he could ask for a custom design…

"When you think of something, just give me a holler. In the meantime, I have some demons I must dispose of."

The shop owner said and carried the box out the front door.

"Okay, thanks."

Naruto said absentmindedly as he continued to brainstorm.

'All the clothing here looks likes something a mage would wear… But maybe that would look cool on me? No, I wouldn't be able to move around freely in robes…'

While Naruto was looking around the store, he noticed the girl who had been previously talking with the shop owner was starting at him. When their eyes met, she fumbled with the wizard hat she was holding, nearly dropping it in the process, before placing it back on the rack.

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's antics, perhaps she wasn't used to seeing outsiders? Everyone he had seen so far in the village had black hair, so he must really stand out here with his blonde locks.

"I-I'm sorry for staring! There's just a rumor about a famous noble that buys armor in our town, a-and I was wondering if it was maybe you…"

While Naruto was musing to himself, the girl must have walked over to him and the shop owner. He must not have noticed since the girl had been so quiet.

Like all the other villagers he had seen so far, she had crimson red eyes. She had black hair that dropped to her shoulders that was tied in twintails that fell down each side of her face. She wore black robes and matching cloak, along with a pink miniskirt. On her waist was a silver sword, which made Naruto fall under the impression that she was an adventurer.

"A noble? I'm not anyone special like that! What made you think so?"

Naruto asked and laughed, causing the girl to look down at the floor again and fidget nervously.

"Y-you have blonde hair and blue eyes… Those tend to be the traits of a noble in this country. Ah, I'm s-s-sorry for making assumptions!"

The girl suddenly spouted and bowed deeply, prompting the blonde to wave his hands frantically in an attempt to stop her.

"W-wait! It's fine, it's fine! It's nothing to apologize for!"

"R-right… Sorry."

"Like I said, you don't have anything you need to apologize for!"

"Y-you're right, I understand… I'm sorry!"

Naruto sighed when the timid girl continued to bow repeatedly. She didn't understand at all.

"My name is Naruto, I'm from Axel Town. What's your name?"

Naruto asked in attempt to change the subject. He half expected her to flick her cape and make a tremendous introduction, but the girl merely poked her fingers together nervously.

"M-my name is Yunyun… You're from the town of beginners? That's rather far from the Home of the Crimson Magic. What made you want to come here…? I-if you don't mind my pestering of course!"

Yunyun asked while flailing her hands around.

Naruto chuckled, this girl was weird. But at least she didn't do an over-the-top introduction like the shop owner did.

"I'm on a trip with my mentor to meet a mage here. I'm forming a party and I need a mage, ya know? But the old geezer said I needed new clothes, so here I am."

"Eh? Y-you're recruiting a mage for your party?"

Yunyun's eyes widened and looked as though she wanted to say something else, but her mouth just kept opening and closing without saying anything.

Naruto raised an eyebrow as he tried to make out what she was trying to say.

"This probably goes without saying, but are you an adventurer Yunyun?"

"Yes! I just got done learning advanced magic and was about to head to the town of beginners today to look for a party of my own!"

Yunyun stated rather loudly, causing the blonde to jump from her unexpected surge of energy.

"I-is that so? I'll probably be here for another day or so, but maybe we'll see each other back in town sometime later?"

Naruto said and grinned a foxlike grin.

"Y-yes… perhaps."

Yunyun responded while smiling bitterly.

'Shoot! I blew my chance to ask if I could join his party!'

Yunyun thought and hung her head dejectedly while Naruto wasn't looking. She had said that in order to get him to invite her to his party, but now he thought she had plans!

What plans!? The last time she had been to Axel Town to look for companions ended in a lonely trip back home! Due to her being a Crimson Magic Clansman with a weird name, and her lack of social skills, no one wanted to form a party with her! Just remembering that experience made Yunyun want to curl up into a ball and cry…

'N-no, wait! I still have a chance! I just need to stretch the conversation a little longer!'

Yunyun thought to herself and steeled her resolve. Naruto seemed like a really nice person, an ideal party member! Heck, he didn't even make fun of her name! This ideal adventuring companion just so happened to be looking for a mage for his party, so she couldn't let this opportunity escape!

"Um… What kind of clothes were you thinking of getting?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm not really sure yet. I hold the adventurer class, but I fight like a rouge, so I want something that won't restrain my movement."

Naruto said and picked up a cape, wondering if it would look cool on him. But he quickly dismissed the idea of wearing one and placed it back down. Capes were impractical for ninjas.

"Eh? B-but didn't you ask the shopkeeper for orange clothes? Orange is a little…"

Yunyun said meekly, because wearing orange was the same as screaming your presence out to the enemy. It just wasn't a practical color to wear for any stealthy adventurer.

"Hey, don't tell me you're against orange too. I'll have you know I can be super stealthy even when I'm wearing this awesome color!"

Naruto said before crossing his arms and huffing.

'Oh no, I made him angry! He said he wanted to be stealthy while wearing a bright color like orange, so I couldn't help but retort! What was I thinking!?'

Yunyun's mind was now in a state of panic. She was blowing her chances of forming a party with this person with ever sentence that came out of her mouth!

Suddenly, Naruto heard a pair of familiar voices arguing outside.

"Hey! What are you throwing those away for!?"

"Oh, you were here? Well, to answer your question, I'm throwing these away because no one bought those ill-colored things! They probably had a curse that kept customers away."

"C-cursed…!? But these vests are…"

Naruto peered out the front window, leaving the troubled Yunyun behind, and saw Jiraiya grabbing a box out of a large bin. On the side of the bin was a sign that read: _Gateway to an Eldritch God's Stomach_.

In other words, it was a trash can.

"I only made those things since my son was so passionate about tailoring for once…"

Chekera said with a sigh before glaring at Jiraiya.

'I wonder if Ero-Senin did something to make that guy hate him?'

Naruto thought as he watched the scene in front of him. But his eyes widened when Jiraiya pulled something out of the box.

'That's…!'

"But these things are so cool! I understand the obsession you Crimson Demons have with red and black, but these vests were designed off the standard gear from my home country! You can't just throw them away…"

Jiraiya said as he stared at the standard chunin flak jacket in his hands with a frown. Someone grabbed the vest from his grasp.

"If you're just going to throw them away, I'll take them."

Naruto said and propped the vest up to his chest to test the size, then smiled when he found that it was a perfect fit.

"Naruto…"

Jiraiya said as the blonde put the flak jacket on. His original intent was to have Naruto come here and see the vests, but he didn't think the stupid shop owner would throw them away.

"Eh? You actually like those ugly things?"

Chekera asked with a surprised look on his face.

"Yeah, I do. So can I have them?"

Naruto asked, the familiar green vest covering his chest. It exactly like he remembered seeing them on all the chunin and jōnin back in Konoha, complete with all the pockets in the front and everything.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt if you took those things off my hands… But only if you buy something from my shop! The law of equilibrium! Sounds fair, right?"

Chekera said with a glint in his eyes, and Jiraiya scoffed.

"Deal!"

Naruto said and pulled the box out of the trash can, then handed it to Jiraiya before he followed the happy shop owner back inside the shop.

Jiraiya looked inside the box and smiled fondly.

'I wonder if Naruto was ever able to retake the chunin exams…'

XXXXXXXX

 **Later…**

Naruto ended up buying a pair of black pants and a matching black jacket from the shop. After changing into his new out fit and thanking the shop owner, Naruto and Jiraiya were back on the streets.

He never did see Yunyun again. When he had gone back into the shop, the strange girl was nowhere to be seen.

'Oh well, maybe I'll see her again in Axel Town. She did say she was going there to join a party.'

Naruto thought as he put his jacket, along with the five extra flack jackets in a simple storage scroll that Jiraiya gave him.

"That looks good on you, kid. Makes you look more mature."

Jiraiya said, prompting the younger boy look at him flatly.

"Isn't that what you said when you bought me my last orange jacket?"

"Hahaha! I did say something like that, didn't I? But now you look more like your father. Although you do have your mother's face…"

And Jiraiya was telling the truth when he said that. Naruto, with the dark clothes and flack jacket, was the splitting image of Minato when he first became a jōnin. The only real difference was the rounder face and whisker marks.

"Y-you really think so?"

Feeling strangely flustered, Naruto scratched his whisker marks awkwardly. This was the first time anyone had ever said he looked like his parents. It gave him a strange feeling, like a mixture of pride and embarrassment.

"By the way, what did you do to make that shop keeper hate you so much?"

"What, that? He's just jealous of my self introductory skills… Oh, we're here."

Jiraiya said and stopped in front of a local fountain.

Naruto shook his head. It was obvious the old man was leaving out a few details, but he decided not to press.

Jiraiya then sent Naruto a mischievous glance, as if he were about to show off something cool and inhaled deeply.

"Oh harbingers of death, the group whose forbidden name strikes fear into the demon king's minions… Anti-Demon King Army Guerilla Unit, your master calls upon your power! Buzucoily-"

"Bless you."

"!"

Jiraiya faltered in his posture when Naruto interrupted his chant and almost fell into the fountain.

"Wha-No! Shup up and let me finish!"

"O-okay…"

Naruto sweatdropped. He could have sworn Jiraiya had a slip of tongue there, but whatever.

A small crowd had begun to gather around them, and Naruto could hear them whispering amongst themselves. Some were mentioning Jiraiya's name while others were… Spitting?

"Ahem… Buzucoily! Come forth!"

Jiraiya, having seemingly given up on whatever speech he was trying to pull, shouted at the top of his lungs.

…

Naruto palmed his face. Even the crowd went dead silent.

"That was so stupid. What are you even doi-"

"OH!"

Naruto jumped when the crowd of Crimson Magic Clansman suddenly started cheering.

"Eh? Eh?"

A boy with black hair and red eyes suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of Jiraiya in a crouch, which further surprised the blonde ninja.

"I apologize for the delay, master. Unfortunately, the other members were not able to break free of their seals."

"Aw, is that so… Well, it can't be helped then! Buzucoily, this is Naruto. He's the kid I was telling you and the others about."

Jiraiya gestured to the still baffled Naruto.

The newly dubbed Buzucoily looked at Naruto with a raised eyebrow.

"This is your student? He doesn't look like much… Ah! But if he is a student of master Ero-Senin's, then he must powerful!"

Oi.

"Did he just call you 'master Ero-Senin'?"

Naruto asked Jiraiya with a twitching eyebrow, but the older sage adverted his gaze.

Buzucoily flipped his cape loudly.

"My name is Buzucoily! I am a member of the Anti-Demon King Army Guerrilla Unit, and the man that will one day inherit the Crimson Magic Clan's number one tailor shop!"

Naruto felt a sense of Deja-vu as he watched the mage's flashy introduction.

Wait a second. Did he just say tailor shop?

Now Naruto understood why the tailor shop owner seemed to dislike Jiraiya. Chekera probably thought Jiraiya was a bad influence on his son, and since Buzucoily was going around calling the man 'master Ero-Senin', it was hard not to see why.

Good thing Chekera hadn't ask if he was Jiraiya's pupil…

"Hey, come on kid! Introduce yourself! I'm quite famous here, you know? So you better make it a good one!"

Jiraiya said and pat Naruto on the back.

How irresponsible of this man to not only ignore Naruto's question, but then suddenly put him on the spot to please an audience with an over the top introduction.

Naruto sighed, he was beginning to notice a trend with this village and its people. There was no use arguing. The entire crowd was watching him expectantly, so he might as well do it.

Putting his hands in his favorite seal, Naruto put on a feral grin.

"To unlock my full potential, I befriended the demon that that was sealed inside of me since birth. I am the world's number one unpredictable ninja, the man who will one day defeat the demon king, Naruto Uzumaki! You better remember me, ya know!"

"OHHH!"

Their audience cheered even louder than after Jiraiya's speech, prompting Naruto to scratch his cheeks awkwardly. He was a little embarrassed, but his little introduction seemed to have satisfied the crowd enough.

"Not bad!"

"I don't know what a ninja is, but he must be strong!"

"Since the Demon King's Castle is right next to the village, I think we might see an amazing fight soon!"

Naruto's eyes widened when he heard something important in the crowd's comments.

' **What do you mean you 'befriended' me? I only decided to humor you in your idiotic quest to befriend the tailed beasts because you were in such a pitiful state.'**

'Hey, friendship is still friendship. It doesn't matter how you become friends with someone, the fact still stands that we're friends.'

'… **Hmph.'**

Buzucoily flicked his cape again and pointed at the blonde ninja.

"That was a splendid introduction! As expected of Ero-Senin's prized pupil! You have my respect, outsider!"

"Ah, thanks… Ow!"

Naruto winced in pain when he felt a hard slap to his back.

"Wahaha! I knew you had it in you, kid! Now then, let's go find that mage I was talking about!"

Jiraiya said and dragged Naruto away from the waning crowd. Buzucoily, who followed them, ran up to Jiraiya's other side.

"By the way, master. Today's showing starts in about an hour."

Buzucoily said, and Jiraiya rubbed his hands together gleefully.

"Excellent! Naruto and I have some minor business to attend to, so could you come pick me up before it starts?"

"Yes, master Ero-Senin. I will be off then."

Having received his final orders, Buzucoily waved at Naruto before he raised his staff and disappeared from their sight.

Naruto waved back as he stared at the void spot where the mage had just been. He had given up on the boy calling Jiraiya 'master Ero-Senin', but the spell he had used was interesting.

"Is that a teleportation spell he's using? Then why can I still sense his presence?"

"Ah, it's not a teleport spell. Buzucoily's using an invisibility spell that refracts light in a certain perimeter. Which is one of the reasons why I changed classes to Arch Wizard."

Jiraiya whispered into Naruto's ear and kicked a pebble to the spot where Buzucoily was standing, and upon reaching the spot, the pebble disappeared.

Naruto's eyes widened. Refracting light to become invisible? That sounded like a difficult spell to master.

…But then why was Buzucoily still following them while invisible?

Oh well, Naruto already had too many questions he wanted answers for at the moment. Like why Jiraiya was being treated both as a celebrity and a menace at the same time in this village, and when he was going to meet his new potential ally.

'Speaking of spells, I guess I should probably try out that Explosion magic soon.'

Naruto thought with a shrug. He already had the spell at his disposal, and it would be a true waste of skill points if he never used it.

"But anyways, let's go find that brat…"

Jiraiya said with a bitter smile and led the two through the village.

Naruto hoped this mage didn't also have a screw loose in their head.

XXXXXXXX

"And so, the wise old hermit brought the hero to the Home of the Crimson Magic in search of a companion."

"Um…"

"However, an unforeseen development had occurred. The hero had a fateful encounter behind the hermit's back. Hm… Yes, this will do."

"Ahem!"

Naruto coughed into his hand loudly, and the girl mumbling to herself while writing something into a notepad.

This girl's name was Arue, an Arch Wizard who used advanced magic. She had shoulder length black hair that ended in curls that resembled drills, with the same crimson eyes as all the other Crimson Demons. She had black robes along with a pink skirt and wore black stockings that went up to her mid thighs. Covering her left eye was a similar looking eyepatch to the one that Megumin wore.

Speaking of Megumin, Arue happened to be the same age as her and the two even went to the same school. The Crimson Magic Clan had a school where the kids would train until they earned the required amount of skill points to learn advanced magic.

Right now, they were standing in front of the girl's house.

Arue looked up from her notebook and stared into Naruto's eyes with a blank expression.

"So this is the pupil you mentioned in your stories, Jiraiya-Sensei? Pui!"

"Don't say my name if you're just going to spit!"

Jiraiya complained when the girl spat on the ground.

"Stupid law…"

"Law?"

Naruto asked when he heard something interesting. Did this law have something to do with the girls in this village spitting all the time?

Arue nodded.

"There is a law in the Crimson Magic Clan that states if the name "Jiraiya" is heard by a female clansman, they must spit in disgust."

The female mage explained before spitting on the ground, earning a growl from Jiraiya.

"Like I said, don't say my name if you're just going to follow that stupid law!"

"Why does such a stupid law exist here…?"

Naruto asked and turned to his sensei, only to see the man advert his gaze.

"A-anyways! Let us get down to the reason why we came!"

Jiraiya stuttered and motioned to Arue, still feeling the blonde's suspicious gaze at the back of his head.

"Now then, Arue. Naruto is a beginner adventurer from Axel Town and is looking to form a strong party for a difficult quest."

"I already have a warrior who said he's willing to join, so if you join we'll only need to find one more member!"

Naruto said and put on his best grin.

Arue took one look at Naruto.

"I refuse."

"!?"

Naruto grimaced. He came here knowing there was a chance this mage might not want to join his party, but to be completely rejected without knowing the reason would leave a bad taste in his mouth.

"W-why?"

Arue placed a hand on her eyepatch, her visible eye glowing fiercely.

"While it may be true that I am an Arch wizard that wields advanced magic, that is merely a side occupation. I intend to become an author, and Jiraiya-Sensei's work, while not entirely what I strive to write, is a masterpiece in its own right. Therefore, I decided to fall under Jiraiya-Sensei's tutelage to master my own style. Pui!"

"Quit saying my name if you're just going to spit, damn it! And I haven't accepted you as my pupil! Don't go making decisions on your own!"

Jiraiya growled angrily, but Arue simply shook her head.

"It was already decided by the gods that you would guide me. I am merely doing what fate has intended. To deny your fate would be the same as running away. Is the great Jiraiya-Sama a coward? Pui!"

"This little…!"

…

'Don't tell me…'

Naruto turned to Jiraiya, who seemed to be trying his best to avoid his gaze. This man was trying to get this girl off his back by pinning her on him, wasn't he?

"Well, I guess there's nothing I can do to persuade you into joining my party. Teach her well, oh great Jiraiya-Sama!"

Naruto said and turned on his heel to leave, but he was quickly subdued by the older toad sage.

"W-wait! Arue, this kid's a really good source of material! Yeah, that's it! If you join this guy's party, you'll have an unlimited amount of source material for your writing! Even I found some writing material while I was hanging around him!"

"Hang on, you just said something I can't ignore! What part of my life did you use for your porn!?"

Naruto questioned and struggled to get out of Jiraiya's grasp, but the man quickly put him in a choke hold.

Arue's eyes flashed, and it reminded Naruto of when Megumin talked about using Explosion magic. Could it be that tidbit of information was compelling to her?

"Hm… Perhaps it would be best not to make a hasty decision. Having pulled an all-nighter writing last night, I have yet to eat anything today. I know a good café nearby."

Jiraiya nodded eagerly and began to drag Naruto along to follow Arue when Buzucoily suddenly appeared.

"Master, today's showing will begin in five minutes."

"Oof!"

Naruto fell to the ground when Jiraiya's hold on him was suddenly let go.

"Shoot! We're pretty far from that spot, but if we teleport now… Sorry kid, I'll leave convincing Arue to join to you! Take us there, Buzucoily-Kun!"

"Yes, master!"

"Wait!"

Naruto said and tried to tackle Jiraiya, but was too slow. Buzucoily finished his spell and the two disappeared in a flash of light.

"That stupid Ero-Senin…!"

Naruto clenched his fists angrily before he sighed and turned to Arue, who was looking at him expectantly as if the scene that just occurred never happened.

'I guess I'll just go with her…'

He still needed a mage for his party, and if Arue wanted to join, regardless of the reason, then that was fine by him.

XXXXXXXX

 **A/N: The Crimson Magic Clan is great…**


	20. The Mage With a Passion to Write

**A/N: Revised as of 4/1/2019**

* * *

"-And so, with the creepy snake guy and his henchman defeated, Ero-Senin and I brought the old lady back to the village to be the next Hokage."

Naruto said with a proud grin on his face. He and Arue were sitting at a table inside the café she had suggested. The mage had just ordered her food when she asked Naruto to tell her a story about his past, so he decided to tell her about the time he met Tsunade and learned the Rasengan.

"I see… To have mastered such an impressive technique at such a young age is quite impressive. Ah, thank you."

Arue thanked the waitress who placed her food on the table, then began to write something in her notebook while munching on a sandwich at the same time. In a nutshell, the hero travels with a wise old man to search for a legendary person. But they run into the main villain and get into a fight, then hero uses a technique that should have been impossible for him to use. The story was impressive, but it felt like was still missing something… She just couldn't quite put her finger on it-

'Ah...'

"Yeah yeah! Ero-Senin said it took my dad four years to create the Rasengan, and I learned it in a week! The old lady was surprised that she lost the bet! Ah, but I don't have the necklace I won anymore because it got destroyed but… Wait, why do you sound like you know what the Rasengan is?"

Naruto continued to boast about his past achievements when he noticed the girl seemed to be staring off into space.

"Hey, Arue? Hello~?"

Arue blinked when Naruto waved a hand in front of her face.

"Ah, sorry. I just got an idea-I mean… I need to go to the restroom. Please excuse me."

"?"

Naruto tilted his head in confusion as Arue suddenly stood up and walked out of the café. The café had a restroom in the back, so why did she go out the front? She left her food, so he didn't think she was ditching him, but her behavior seemed a little odd…

From what he got to know of this mage so far, aside from being a weirdo who wanted to become Jiraiya's disciple in writing, was that she was a calm and collected individual. She had been listening to his story in it's entirety, and even asked a couple questions for extra details. It was nice having someone listen to him so intently.

Wiz asked about his past once, but he didn't go into much detail because he had gotten homesick and changed the subject. But telling Arue his story was kind of relaxing.

' **You're too easy…'**

'S-shut up!'

After a couple minutes of waiting, Naruto heard the café door open and he turned to see Arue walk in with another person in tow. If Naruto wasn't mistaken, that person was…

"Hey, you're that weird girl from the tailor shop! What are you doing here?"

Yunyun, the young girl that he had met at the tailor shop earlier that day, was standing nervously behind Arue.

"Weird!? U-um… You see…"

Yunyun gripped her cloak and looked down at the floor nervously.

"I happened to get lost on my way back from the restroom and bumped into Yunyun who was very hungry. If you don't mind, she will be joining us."

Arue blatantly lied with a stoic face, causing Yunyun to sweatdrop. The truth was she caught Yunyun peeking into the café a lonely expression, while staring at a certain outsider.

Being a Crimson Magic Clansman who was born with an abnormally high intelligence stat, Arue was able to quickly piece together what was going on. She remembered Yunyun saying that she was going to Axel again to search for adventuring companions, since the first time didn't go so well. But knowing that socially awkward girl, Arue guessed that Yunyun didn't have much of a chance in that plan.

So why was she following Naruto?

The answer was simple. Either Yunyun had overheard about an outsider had come to a village who was recruiting a mage, or Naruto and Yunyun had met earlier and that was where she learned of his recruiting.

Judging by Naruto's reaction just now, Arue had to assume it was the latter.

In conclusion, Yunyun was tailing Naruto and looking for an opportunity to join his party. Not that she would ever have the courage to ask herself.

'This development has proven to be quite interesting…'

Arue thought while smirking internally, and the situation could become even more interesting. All she had to do was give Yunyun a little push.

Yunyun looked at her fellow clansman nervously.

"A-Arue… No matter how you look at it, no one would believe-"

"Oh, is that so? Then why don't you join us?"

Naruto said with a grin and motioned for the two girls to sit down.

'He believed it!?'

Yunyun gained an urge to retort at just how trusting Naruto was, but she bit her tongue to stop herself from doing so. After all, she was just given another chance to join this man's party and it would be foolish to ruin it by making him mad right off the bat!

* * *

 **A Few Minutes Later…**

"The Anti-Demon King Army Unit? Oh, you mean Buzucoily and the others. I don't think they would want to go on that quest with you. After all, they're all just a bunch of NEETs."

NEETs? Wasn't that an utterly hopeless person who lounged around the house all day? Naruto vaguely remembered Aqua's definition of the term when he had asked why she kept calling Kazuma a NEET.

"But don't they go on patrol to hunt for the Demon King's army? The Demon King's castle is pretty close by, isn't it?"

Speaking of which, Naruto still needed to ask about that too.

"They just use that group as an excuse to get out of getting actual jobs."

Yunyun responded while waving her hand casually.

"…And that whole talk of seals?"

"Ah, their parents probably didn't let them out of their houses when they heard 'that man's' call."

"…"

And just like that, Naruto's image of the Anti-Demon King Army Guerilla Unit was shattered. Not that he didn't have his suspicions to begin with, what with the way Buzucoily was acting around Jiraiya. But to learn that the group was a bunch of NEETs was a little…

Arue watched as the two interacted with a keen eye, making sure to write down notes as they talked.

"But you know, you sure know a lot about them Yunyun. Although it is a small village, so everyone probably knows about those guys."

"Y-yes… The Home of the Crimson Magic roughly has a population of three-hundred after all..."

Yunyun stuttered while adverting her gaze awkwardly. She couldn't tell him that she was actually apart of their group awhile back. Back then, she needed the extra skill points to catch up to _that person_ no matter what. Such embarrassing memories…

"A-anyways! I-I noticed you were walking with that thing earlier… What is your relationship with it?"

"…Huh?"

Naruto failed to comprehend what Yunyun had just asked. The last time he saw her was back at the tailor shop, and the only person he was with besides the owner was-

"Oh, you mean Jiraiya-Sen-?"

"Pui!" x4

Naruto's eye twitched in annoyance when all the females in the café, including Yunyun, spat onto the ground in disgust. They were in a café, a place where food was served, and yet they still followed such a ridiculous law.

"…Can I ask you something?"

"Y-yes!"

"That man is actually my good for nothing mentor. What did Ero-Senin do in this village to cause such a law to exist?"

"Er-Th-that's…"

Yunyun, who became even more nervous than before, began squirm in her seat. She didn't expect Naruto to be that thing's disciple, but he didn't seem like a dangerous person at all, so it didn't bother her much.

No, what bothered her was the answer to Naruto's question and the trouble it spelled.

Arue placed her notebook onto the table and stood up. She struck a slight pose, her hand somewhat covering her visible eye.

"The story goes as the following: Ero-Sensei-"

"-Please don't call him that-"

"-first arrived at this village about half a year ago. With his self-introduction skills, it was only a matter of time before he became well known to the Home of the Crimson Magic. But then, the incident at the village's bathhouse happened."

'I can imagine what he did…'

Naruto thought while pinching the bridge of his nose.

Arue continued her story.

"Having come to this village to learn about magic, Ero-Sensei-"

"Oi."

"-was particularly curious about the about the Invisibility spell. And so, he gathered the village's NEETs and they peeked on the woman bathing in the bathhouse for three straight days. Their unconscious and malnourished bodies were later found in their campsite next to the outdoor bathhouse."

What the hell Ero-Sensei!?

"Unfortunately for them, the village chief's daughter happened to be bathing at the time and they were quickly found out. She became infuriated and used her influence on her father to create the spitting law."

"!"

Naruto glanced over at Yunyun when she suddenly tensed in her seat, she looked nervous and her face was bright red. He wondered if she was involved in that 'incident'. After all, a grown man peeking into the woman's bath could be considered a traumatizing event to a young girl.

Noticing the blonde's gaze, Yunyun immediately turned away. If he found out she was the chief's daughter and that she was the one who created the law that cursed his mentor's name, then she could kiss her chances of joining someone's party goodbye!

"I gotta say, Ero-Senin got what was coming to him. Honestly, wanting to learn magic for such a stupid reason…"

Naruto said while shaking his head like a parent talking about a problem child. He guessed this was the reason why the tailor shop owner didn't like Jiraiya as well. The man probably thought Jiraiya was a bad influence on his son, not that his judgement was wrong in the slightest.

Hearing that, Yunyun sighed in relief.

"But if I ever meet the chief's daughter, I would ask if she could revoke that dumb law-"

"That will never happen."

Naruto was taken aback from the intensity of Yunyun's surprisingly willful words. There was so much sureness in her statement, he wasn't quite sure how to react.

"I-is that so…? Well, I'm sure she would come to reason if I-"

"I'm afraid that is not possible."

Yunyun said firmly.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and laughed awkwardly. It seemed the girl was adamant the chief's daughter wouldn't budge on the matter.

'Maybe it's best we change subjects…'

Arue thought, as she was slightly taken aback by how willful Yunyun was acting.

"Ahem. I have finished my lunch. Come, Yunyun. I think we should have Naruto visit _that_ place."

"Eh? Where?"

Yunyun asked as she was dragged out of the café, prompting the one responsible to stop and turn to her.

"I'm curious to see if this was a fateful encounter. To do so, we must go see that person. We will have Naruto and Yunyun go first. Trust me, this will help Yunyun's goal."

Arue said with her ever-stoic expression, but her eye flared with anticipation.

"I-I still don't understand, but if Arue thinks this will help, t-then I'll go!"

Yunyun stuttered as confidently as she could.

"Yunyun really is weird."

"…! A-am I really that weird!?"

Naruto chuckled as he watched the two mages exit the café. He moved to follow them when a hand grabbed his shoulder, making him tense. Naruto turned around to find the waitress smiling at him cheerfully, a small piece of paper in her other hand.

'I knew it…'

Why was he always meeting girls that forced him to treat them?

* * *

 **Meanwhile in Axel…**

"Achoo!"

Aqua sneezed before rubbing her arms together.

"Did you catch a cold? It's been getting colder lately."

Kazuma, who was walking beside her asked while trying his best to keep his hands warm in his pockets.

"No… I got the feeling that someone was just talking about me. Puhihi! It's probably just Naruto who must have realized how much he misses my divine company. I guess it can't be helped! When he comes back, I'll share some of my treasured wine."

'Just how big headed are you…?'

Kazuma thought with a sweatdrop as he watched the (self-proclaimed) goddess of water carry herself with pride after blabbering such nonsense. But it was still surprising to hear that Aqua was willing to share some of her precious wine.

Once, Kazuma tried to drink some and Aqua snatched it out of his hands and refused to share any of it. He ended up using steal to retrieve the bottle and threatened to sell it, and Aqua ended up crying for half a day. It was annoying, and it irked Kazuma that Aqua was willing to share some of that wine with Naruto and not him.

Wait, why was he so upset over something so stupid? It was good that Aqua and Naruto got along so well. If Naruto took Aqua into his party, it would mean one less problem child to worry about.

"Well anyways, we better hurry to Wiz's shop. I forgot to bring Wiz some lunch because of what happened yesterday."

There was a rumor going around. People were saying that they heard weird noises around this part of the town last night, and were thinking that perhaps a monster had somehow snuck in. Wiz also seemed kind of twitchy the other day, so Kazuma was kind of worried.

Not that a general of the demon king army needed help with a lowly monster, but still.

Aqua crackled her knuckles and sneered.

"I still think we're better off sending that filthy lich to heaven."

"Naruto would be angry if he heard you say that."

—When they reached Wiz's magic tool shop, Kazuma opened the door and walked inside.

"Hey Wiz, sorry we didn't come yesterday~!"

…

No answer.

Kazuma cocked an eyebrow. That was odd. The store was open, so Wiz should. Did she step out of the store for some reason? No, then she would have closed the store before doing so…

"Show yourself, Lich!"

As Kazuma pondered in his thoughts, Aqua stormed into the store and looked around for the owner. With Wiz nowhere to be found, Aqua's gaze immediately turned to the back room.

"In there!"

"O-oi, Aqua! Wait a second!"

Kazuma reached out to stop Aqua from doing any unnecessary things, but she was just out of his reach and the girl disappeared into the dark back room. Cursing under his breath, Kazuma followed after the bluenette to ensure that she didn't break anything.

Once inside the small backroom, Kazuma saw that Aqua had stopped right in front of a desk.

"Oi, Aqua. I don't think we're supposed to be in here. Let's just come back later… and…"

Kazuma's words trailed off when he noticed Aqua was staring at something, and he followed her gaze. He hadn't noticed at first since the room was so dark, but after activating his Foresight ability, he saw a figure standing in the back of the small room.

"…Wiz?"

The figure that Kazuma assumed to be the shop owner twitched upon hearing his words.

"…Oh, good morning Kazuma-San, Aqua-Sama…"

Kazuma gulped, his internal voice screaming that something was wrong. It was indeed Wiz, but her voice was quiet and raspy. Not to mention she didn't even turn around to look at them.

Aqua, who clearly couldn't read the situation, stomped over to Wiz with her hands on her hips.

"Why didn't you come out and greet us when we walked in, huh? You've got some nerve to ignore the people who came to visit!"

"…How rude of me… I'll brew some tea right now…"

Wiz said in the same tone of voice and Kazuma heard shuffling sounds, but it was too dark for him to tell what she was doing.

Kazuma gripped the box of food in his hands tightly, making the cardboard creek under the pressure.

'No matter how you look at it, Wiz is not acting normal. But what's wrong with her? Is her hunger getting to her? Is this why Naruto wanted me to stop by every day-'

Whoosh!

"…Eh?"

Kazuma said when Wiz suddenly blurred out of his vision, and he felt a grip that threatened to break his wrist almost lift him off the ground. Snapping his head back, Kazuma found Wiz staring at the box with glowing red eyes.

"Eeeiiiih!"

Needless to say, it was quite a scary sight.

"Ah!? So the Lich finally bares its fangs! Time to put it down! Sacred-"

"Crystal Prison!"

"!?"

Before Aqua could finish her spell, her form was encased in a pillar of ice.

"Aqua!"

Kazuma shouted fearfully when his only means of defending himself was defeated in an instant. Wasn't that girl supposed to be a goddess or something!? How useless!

"Uhhhh…"

Kazuma winced in pain when the grip on his wrist tightened, then nearly wet himself when he looked back at the person responsible.

"…Gimmie… The box…!"

Wiz said with icy steam coming out of her mouth.

Scary! Hungry Wiz was scary!

"O-o-o-of course! Take it! Take it please!"

Kazuma surrendered the box of food peacefully, and his wrist was let go. Kazuma fell to the floor and immediately scrambled behind the desk next to Aqua's frozen form. His wrist was bruised, but he could just have Aqua heal it after she broke out of the ice.

Wiz now held the box in her hands and opened it with haste.

"…"

Inside the box was a bowl of stir-fried noodles made by a local food stand. Wiz stared at the food for a moment before she scarfed it down in a matter of seconds.

Crash!

Kazuma flinched and squeezed his eyes shut when he heard the bowl shatter on the ground. After finally opening his eyes, Kazuma saw Wiz staring off into space. Her expression looked dead, her eyes dull and void of emotion.

"It's still not enough… Not unless… It's Naruto-San…"

Wiz said before collapsing onto the ground.

"Wiz!"

Kazuma stumbled onto his feet and rushed over to the fallen shop owner.

How could this happen? What did Wiz mean by something of Naruto's? Did he do something to her? Kazuma didn't think Naruto was the type of guy who would do something that could harm a girl but…

'One thing's for sure… These next couple days are going to be troublesome.'

At that moment, Kazuma and Wiz both thought the same thing:

'Please come back soon, Naruto…'

* * *

 **A/N: Poor Wiz… T-T**

 **I love how you all thought it was concrete that Arue was going to join the party, but there is hope for Yunyun yet! XD**

 **By the way, Arue is an actual character from the KonoSuba light novels. She was introduced in volume five. :)**

 **Next chapter, Naruto is introduced to yet another Crimson Magic Clansman!**


	21. A Timid Mage for this Shinobi's Party

Naruto, Arue, and Yunyun were standing in front a small building in the middle of the village.

'A divination shop, huh? Sounds kind of creepy…'

Naruto thought and scratched at his whisker marks nervously. Fortune telling was the same thing as someone telling you what your fate was, and fate was something Naruto had long since forsaken.

"Then, shall we?"

Yunyun, who seemed awfully fired up, said and walked into the shop. If her fortune with Naruto turned out positive, then it would increase the odds of her joining his party!

Arue wordlessly followed her fellow mage into the shop, and eventually Naruto followed suit.

Inside the small building was a dimly lit room with large desk sitting in the back. Along the walls of the room were shelves that held what looked to be a variety of magical items. It all sort of reminded Naruto of Wiz's magic tool shop, which made him wonder how the shopkeeper was holding up.

'I hope Wiz is doing alright… Kazuma is making sure she's eating, but I just hope she doesn't snap from not getting any ramen.'

Naruto thought when the door behind him suddenly snapped closed all by itself.

"!"

"You have done well to make this far."

Turning to the source of the voice, Naruto saw a hooded figure sitting at the desk. Was that person always there?

The person took off their hood to reveal long flowing black hair and the same deep crimson eyes as all the other Crimson Demons. Her striking features were soft, yet sharp and her gaze seemed to pierce right through Naruto. Yet at the same time, her eyes showed a hint of interest.

"You're the fortune teller?"

Naruto asked the obvious question, and the beautiful girl nodded.

"That is correct. I am Soketto, the Crimson Magi Clan's number one fortune teller! I am confident to say that my divinations are almost always accurate. So tell me, what brings you to my shop?"

Soketto asked while eyeing the three people standing in front of her desk.

Before Naruto or Yunyun had the chance to say anything, Arue pushed the two of them forward.

"I would like for you to do a compatibility test for these two please."

"!?"

As Arue stated their business, Yunyun's face flushed red and she quickly pulled Arue to a corner of the room.

"C-c-c-compatibility-!? I-isn't that something that c-c-couples do!?"

Yunyun stammered while keeping her voice low enough for only Arue to hear.

"What is Yunyun talking about? I believe I said this before, but I want to see if your meeting with Naruto was a fateful encounter. This compatibility test will tell us whether the two of you would be compatible as party members."

"I-is that so…?"

Yunyun looked back at Naruto and Soketto, who were waiting for them patiently, and poked her fingers together nervously. Was she perhaps looking into this test a little a too far?

"S-sorry about that…"

"Don't worry about it. This is just a test to see if we would make good friends, right?"

Naruto said and gave the girl a thumbs up.

"F-friends…!? Naruto-San and I?"

"Ahem! Now then, if you two would sit in these chairs."

Soketto said and gestured to the pair of chairs in front of her desk, to which Naruto and Yunyun sat down.

Arue stayed in the corner of the room, her notebook and pen at the ready for the results of the test.

Soketto pulled out a crystal ball and reached towards Naruto and Yunyun.

"I will begin the divination…"

Yunyun grasped her cloak tightly, her heart was pounding in anticipation. This test was the last chance she had at joining Naruto's party.

'Please work…!'

The crystal ball in Soketto's hand glowed brightly, before it died down and reverted to normal.

"…Oh! My readings tell me that your compatibility percentage is ninety-five percent! That is quite a high number."

Yunyun's eyes widened and she turned to Naruto. Did that mean-!?

"Hey, that's great Yunyun! This means we'll make great friends!"

"R-right! Please take care of…!"

Yunyun's words died down in her throat when a thought occurred to her.

A compatibility test was undoubtedly something one would take to check the likelihood of becoming lovers with someone…

'…and I just scored a ninety-five percent with Naruto-San…!'

Yunyun glanced at the back of the room where Arue was, and found the girl scribbling furiously into her notebook. Arue noticed her fellow mage's stare, and Yunyun noticed a small twitch to the normally stoic girl's lips.

Naruto raised an eyebrow when Yunyun suddenly fell silent.

"Yunyun? Hey, you're looking pretty red there. Are you oka-"

"AHHHHHH!?"

Naruto flinched in surprise when Yunyun suddenly screamed and bolted out of the shop.

"Y-Yunyun!?"

Naruto stood up and rushed to the door to chase after the frantic girl, but not before looking back at the other crimson mages.

"Arue, I'm going after Yunyun. Thanks for the divination, fortune teller lady!"

"Fortune teller lady…!"

After saying his piece, Naruto dashed through the door, leaving Arue and a slightly surprised Soketto alone in the shop.

After a couple seconds of nothing but the sounds of pencil scribbles, Arue shut her notebook.

"Quite the interesting character, isn't he? How much for the divination?"

"Don't worry about it, that girl was in dire need of a companion. But to think there was actually a person who would have such a high compatibility rate with the weird and socially awkward Yunyun…"

Soketto said and tossed the crystal ball from her hand.

"Hm? Could it be that even Soketto, the most beautiful girl of the Crimson Magic Clan, has taken an interest in the pupil of Ero-Senin?"

Arue asked with a glint in her eye, her pencil already in hand.

"That man is Ero-Senin's pupil?"

Soketto asked with wide eyes. As a member of the Anti-Demon King Army Guerilla Unit, she had heard many stories centering around the man named Naruto Uzumaki. To think that very man had just been in her shop.

"How careless of me. Had I known he was Ero-Senin's pupil, I would have challenged him to a duel."

"That man is searching for a mage to join his party."

Arue said, sending the older mage a sharp glance.

"Is that so... Then perhaps we should make things a little more interesting. After all, that man has also piqued my interest."

Soketto said with a knowing smile, and the two left the shop to find the blonde shinobi.

But unknown to Soketto and Arue, someone using the invisibility spell had been listening in from outside the shop. The person grit their teeth as they watched the two female mages.

* * *

"Damn… I lost her."

Naruto said as he looked around the village for Yunyun. He had taken his off her for one second when they passed a large house that he could only assume was where the village chief lived, and when he looked back she was gone.

It also didn't help that everyone in town not only had the same hair color, but also wore similar clothing.

Naruto sat down at the fountain located in the middle of the village and sighed.

'I wonder what was wrong… Did she not want to be friends?'

"Naruto Uzumaki!"

Hearing his name being called out, Naruto looked up to see the boy that had taken Jiraiya away standing on the other side of the street. He seemed angry, if the heated glare was anything to go by.

"Buzu… Buzz! What's up?"

"My name is Buzucoily! Did you already forget!?"

Buzucoily steamed before shaking his head.

"No, that doesn't matter… Naruto Uzumaki! I challenge you to a duel!"

Taking a moment to process what was happening, Naruto tilted his head in confusion.

"Eh?"

Across the street, Arue and Soketto had showed up just in time to witness Buzucoily issue his challenge.

"Well this is an unexpected event."

"Indeed."

* * *

Yunyun hugged her pillow tightly as she laid in her bed. She felt ashamed for running away without saying anything like that, but it was just so embarrassing!

'A ninety-five percent… That means there's a high chance Naruto-San and I could become l-l-l-lovers!'

Just saying the word caused Yunyun to blush, and she buried her face even further into her pillow.

'But… I don't think Naruto-San came to that conclusion. He only thought it was a friendship test…'

Yunyun jumped out of her bed.

"Oh no! Then does that mean Naruto-San now thinks I don't want to be friends with him!? I did run away from him… H-how could I do something so cruel!?"

Yunyun ran out of her bedroom and flew out the door. She had to hurry and find Naruto and clear any misunderstandings before it was too late!

As Yunyun ran down the streets of the village, she began to hear the murmuring of her fellow clansman.

"Hey, did you hear? Buzucoily challenged Ero-Senin's pupil to a duel."

"No way, really? I wish I could have seen that!"

Yunyun blinked as she passed a gossiping duo.

'Buzucoily-San wants to fight Naruto-San? But why?'

Coming to a stop, Yunyun turned around and ran up to the mages.

"U-um… E-excuse me, but do you know where that fight is taking place?"

XXXXXXXX

In the forest just south of the Crimson Magic Village, Naruto and Buzucoily stood in a clearing ten meters apart from each other.

"Uh… I know I already said I didn't mind sparing with you since I've never fought a mage before, but why do you want to fight so badly?"

Naruto asked as he did an inventory check on all his weapons. With his new flack jacket, he was now able to carry a couple more ninja tools on hand instead of just the few he could carry in his pouches. The rest he would normally carry in a storage scroll, but now he could access more items quicker with the added pockets.

Buzucoily, who was waiting patiently for Naruto to finish his preparations, pointed his staff at their audience who consisted of Arue and Soketto.

"You may not be aware of it, but you have attracted the attention of one of the most beau-er… Talented mages of the Crimson Magic Clan! I must prove myself in front of her, so I ask that you don't think ill of me."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and glanced over at the two girls who had insisted on watching their match. He had only talked to Soketto once, so there's no way Buzucoily was referring to her. Which left…

"Wait, you like Arue? Isn't she a little young for you?"

"!?"

As Buzucoily choked on his saliva, Soketto stifled a laugh and Arue tilted her head down so that her bangs covered her face.

"Y-y-you're wrong! Whatever! Are you prepared? Yes? Then here I come!"

Buzucoily said, and after confirming Naruto was ready to fight, he started chanting a spell.

"Be washed away by the roaring current controlled by the might of my power…"

'I've never fought a mage, but I've been reading up on some of the spells that they can use to see if I wanted to learn any of them. This sounds like a water spell…'

Naruto thought and braced himself for a powerful torrent of water.

" **Light of Saber!"**

"!"

Naruto was caught by surprise when a stream of light burst out of Buzucoily's staff, and he was only barely able to dodge it. But even then, the spell had still nicked him in the cheek.

"Hm… As expected of the prized disciple of Ero-Senin! To dodge my spell at this distance is no easy feat!"

Buzucoily said before he started chanting his next spell.

"What the hell, man!? That wasn't a water spell! Where did all that talk of being washed away by a roaring current go!?"

Naruto complained as he wiped the blood from the gash on his cheek, but he wasn't given an answer as Buzucoily fired off another spell.

" **Tornado!"**

A powerful gust of wind picked up as the air in front of Buzucoily began to swirl unnaturally until it formed a decent sized tornado. The trees around them creaked as the mighty winds threatened to knock them down.

'A wind spell, huh? But I ain't getting hit by something that slow!'

Naruto thought as the tornado began to move towards him. The only reason he was able to stay planted on the ground was because he was feeding chakra to his feet. But now that his opponent couldn't see him…

Buzucoily smirked when the tornado reached the spot where Naruto was. He then canceled the spell, and then the dust settled down it was revealed that Naruto was nowhere to be seen.

"What's this? Did he get blown away by my spell? Then it looks like-"

"You lose."

"!"

Buzucoily tensed when he heard a voice behind him as something sharp was pressed against his back. He slowly cranked his neck around to see none other than Naruto staring at him with stone cold eyes.

"H-how?"

"While your tornado was obscuring your vision, I simply dashed into the forest to get behind you without you seeing me."

Naruto casually explained.

"I-in that little time? Such speed…"

Buzucoily said and looked to Soketto and Arue, who were both nodding their heads to confirm what Naruto was claiming to be true.

"I may have been thrown off by that talk of water earlier, but your attacks are too one dimensional. Now, do you give up?"

Naruto said as he further pressed his kunai against the mage's back.

"…One-dimensional? I wouldn't be so sure."

Buzucoily said cryptically before he disappeared in a flash of light.

"Wha-! Damn… Teleportation magic."

Naruto cursed under his breath and scanned the area for his opponent. He could still sense Buzucoily's presence, but he couldn't see him…

" **Light of Saber!"**

Naruto sidestepped when a beam of light shot out from somewhere in the forest. He then heard a series of footsteps before he had to dodge another beam of light.

'He's there, but I still can't see him. So that means he's using Invisibility magic.'

Having deducted what his opponent's strategy was, Naruto put his fingers into a cross shape.

Arue and Soketto were surprised to see three more Naruto's appear out of thin air.

"So that's the forbidden cloning magic that Ero-Senin mentioned…"

Soketto muttered to herself as she watched Naruto and his clones disperse into the forest in separate directions. She was already itching to face Naruto in battle, and seeing this new spell only made her want to fight even more.

'A hero that makes use of a forbidden magic…'

Arue thought as she wrote the ideas down her into her notebook. Jiraiya was definitely right when he said Naruto was walking inspiration for a writer. But at this rate, they would be able to keep up with the fight since the combatants just ran into the forest.

"Shall we go follow them?"

"Yes, I would like to see the outcome of this battle if possible."

* * *

Buzucoily was panting as he ran through the forest, all while glancing back and firing off a spell at his pursuers.

Yes, pursuers, as in multiple people! Who knew Naruto was capable of using the forbidden cloning magic that Ero-Senin had once mentioned.

'I'm starting to run out of mana… To think that the great Buzucoily, proud member of the Anti-Demon King Army Guerilla Unit, would be pushed to his limits! Naruto Uzumaki… You are a worthy opponent indeed.'

Finding himself cornered, Buzucoily stopped and turned around expectantly. As he had anticipated, the three clones that had been chasing him were standing in the trees.

A bead of sweat trailed down the mage's face as he grinned up at them.

'I only have enough mana for one more spell… This will be my last stand!'

"Don't you think this is enough? I don't think the forest can take much more of our fight…"

Buzucoily brought his gaze back down from the trees to see the fourth and final Naruto come out of hiding.

'So the original shows himself…'

With his target found, Buzucoily took in a deep breath and laughed.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the mage's sudden change in attitude. Did the man finally snap?

Buzucoily flicked his cape and took a stance befitting that of a Crimson Magic Demon.

"Ahaha! So you think you have me cornered, do you?"

"Yeah, I do. I can tell you're low on magic, so you can't use Teleport or Invisibility magic, and there's a giant tree in your way."

Naruto responded with a flat expression. Why did these Crimson demons have to be so dramatic all the time? Even when his opponent already knew he was low on magic, Buzucoily didn't hesitate to try to play it off and act cool.

"…So it seems. Then you leave e no choice. I'll have to use _that_ technique!"

Naruto and his clones readied themselves for Buzucoily's final move.

"Become ash by the eternal flame of the crimson magic…"

'Here it comes…'

"Light of Saber!"

"God damn it!"

After avoiding the surprise light spell, Naruto and his clones pounced on Buzucoily.

* * *

When Soketto and Arue finally found Naruto and Buzucoily, they were disappointed to see that fight had already reached its conclusion.

"I'll take this man back to the village. Perhaps next time we can have a match ourselves. To have a match against Ero-Senin's prized pupil would be a great means of testing my skills."

"M-maybe…"

Naruto said with an awkward smile before Soketto, along with the unconscious Buzucoily, disappeared in a flash of light.

Though if he was being honest with himself, he never wanted to fight a crimson magic clansman ever again. That fight had been nothing but hit and run tactics. Naruto thought he corned Buzucoily a multitude of times, but then the mage would just teleport away at the last second. Not to mention all the misleading chants before his spells…

' **Coming from a ninja who specializes in hit and run tactics and deception…'**

'How about you fight the next Crimson Magic Clansman then, huh?'

' **Sure. I won't hold back like you always do. The fight will be over in seconds'**

'It was just a sparring match! Of course I'm going to hold back!'

Ignoring the annoying fox, Naruto turned to Arue who was looking at him oddly.

"Ah, sorry. I was just arguing with the demon that's sealed inside of me."

"Yes, I am aware of the nine-tailed fox spirit. Ero-Senin mentioned the demon a couple times in the past. It also seems the healing factor Sensei mentioned is also true."

Naruto rubbed his cheek and felt that the cut was indeed gone. Just how much information did Jiraiya give this kid?

"Anyways, I guess we should head back to the village and…"

"Naruto-Saaan! Aruuue!"

In the direction of the village, Naruto and Arue found Yunyun running through the forest. Was she looking for them?

'Yunyun? How surprising… I didn't expect that child to muster the courage to come and find him by herself.'

Arue thought to herself and decided that she would quietly observe this development.

"Yunyun? What are you doing out here?"

Naruto called out to the girl, and Yunyun's face lit up when she saw them.

"Th-thank goodness I found you! I heard Buzucoily-San challenged Naruto-San to a duel and I… I just wanted to make sure no one got hurt."

Yunyun explained and looked around for Buzucoily.

"Ah, if you're looking for that guy, the fortune teller lady already took him back to the village."

Naruto said and gestured to the direction of the village.

Yunyun gasped.

"T-then does that mean…! Naruto-San beat Buzucoily-San?"

"Yeah, he was pretty strong too. Is it that surprising that I won?"

Naruto asked when Yunyun continued to stare at him the same way. Arue and the other girl hadn't reacted very strongly when they learned that he won, so why was Yunyun? Did she think he was weak or something?

Yunyun realized what Naruto was probably thinking and frantically shook her head.

"Ah! I-i-it's not like I thought Naruto-San was weak or anything! It's just… Buzucoily-San may be NEET who doesn't want to get a job, but he's known for going to the forest outside of the village to hunt monsters for spending money. He's actually very high leveled!"

Naruto sweatdropped. Was Yunyun praising Buzucoily or insulting him?

"Huh… Well anyways, I only knocked him unconscious so now one really got hurt. Let's go back to the village before it gets dark."

Naruto suggested when he noticed the sun was beginning to set. These forests were filled with dangerous monsters, he experienced that first hand, and their activity only grew at night.

Just as Naruto and Arue began to walk in the direction of the village, Yunyun hesitated.

'W-wait… This might be my last chance to ask Naruto-San. If I don't say anything, then Arue will surely join his party.'

Her heart pounding in her chest, Yunyun mustered all her courage and spoke.

"U-um… Naruto-San!"

Naruto and Arue stopped and looked back.

"Hm? What's up Yunyun?"

"Y-you see… I-I-I was wondering i-if I…"

Arue's lips twitched upward when she realized what was happening.

"Actually, I have a confession to make."

Arue stepped forward and said, cutting the teary-eyed Yunyun off.

"The truth is, I'm still attending the Crimson Magic Clan's school. So I can't leave the village to go on quests."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Wait, didn't you say you were in the same class as Yunyun?"

"I did say that. But Yunyun, along with that other girl, graduated early. So unfortunately, I won't be able to join your party. Thank you for the inspiration, hero-San. I will cherish this experience for the remainder of my writing career."

Arue explained, and with a short bow, she turned around and disappeared into the forest.

"Ah, w-wait! This is too sudden!"

Naruto reached out and said, but Arue was already gone. Slumping down on a rock, Naruto let out a heavy sigh.

"Great… Now what am I going to do? I don't want to leave tomorrow without finding a mage, and asking a random person join my party is a little…"

Yunyun gripped her cloak. Arue said all that to give her this chance, and she didn't want to waste it. No, she couldn't waste this chance!

"Naruto-San!"

"Yes!?"

Naruto sat up straight when Yunyun suddenly shouted, and even she herself was surprised by her own voice.

"Ah… D-do you think I… I'd like to join Naruto-San's party!"

Naruto's eyes widened, but he suddenly remembered something.

"Wait, but I thought you already had plans to go to Axel to find a party there?"

"I-I did… But then Naruto-San said he was looking for a mage to join his party…"

Yunyun said and squeezed her teary eyes shut. She was so embarrassed, but hopefully Naruto would accept her! She was done being alone all the time, done staring in through café windows at all the happy people eating together with their friends! Naruto was a nice person, and she felt that they could become great friends!

Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't find the words to say and ultimately smiled.

'So that's how it it…'

Naruto had originally thought Yunyun as a weird girl who had trouble talking to people, and that he just happened to keep bumping into her. But in reality, she just wanted to join his party and had trouble asking.

'Is… Is he going to say yes?'

Yunyun thought and opened her eyes to see Naruto standing up.

With a grin brighter than the rising moon, Naruto gave the girl a thumbs up.

"Welcome to the party, Yunyun!"

* * *

A/N: Yunyun has joined the party! *Rpg victory music plays*

As always, thank you Acidash for going beta-mode for this chapter!

Sorry for anyone who wanted Arue to join, but this had been my plan all along. Because let's face it people, Yunyun is the perfect party member for Naruto, and vice versa.

Well, see you all in the next one! Spirit out!


	22. Trading a Mage for a Mage

**A/N: Read the A/N at the end please.**

* * *

After having established his newest party member, Naruto went back to the Crimson Magic Village for the night. He and Yunyun had decided to meet at the griffon statue at the front of the village the next morning where they would start their trip back to Axel.

There was a store that was run by a mage who would use the Teleport spell, but Naruto couldn't afford the fee and refused to let his newest party member pay for all of them. Yunyun had insisted, but Naruto eventually convinced her that walking back to the town of beginners would be better, mainly so they could get to know each other along the way and bond as party members.

After separating from Yunyun for the night, Naruto then searched for Jiraiya. But unsurprisingly the old sage was nowhere to be found.

So, as a way of getting back at his good-for-nothing mentor, Naruto decided to stay at an inn and put the bill Jiraiya's tab. With Jiraiya's name being so well known and the man's apparent constant bragging of his 'blonde haired blue-eyed' pupil, it wasn't hard for Naruto to convince the innkeeper to put his stay on the Sanin's tab.

The next morning, before the time of the meetup with Yunyun, Naruto decided to ask a local NEET where he could find Jiraiya. The boy had pointed him in the direction of a hill on the far side of the village.

Apparently, there was a lookout spot at the top of the hill with a telescope that could see into the Demon King's castle.

That got Naruto's attention because he still didn't know what this Demon King fellow looked like.

"Maybe that old geezer really was doing more than just peeping in town… No, there has to be another reason. This is Ero-Senin we're talking about here."

Naruto said to himself as he climbed the hill. At the top, there was indeed a telescope. There was a couple people gathered around it, one of which had huge spikey white hair.

Time to find out what his sensei ditched him for this time. Was Jiraiya doing actual research on the enemy, or was he up to no good?

"Hehehe… The morning show is as great as ever…"

No good it was then. Go figure.

Naruto stopped right behind the old man who was ogling thru the telescope while wiggling his fingers in a fashion that was fitting of the name 'Ero-Senin'.

"What kind of show is it?"

"It's the best kind of show! The Demon King's daughter is drying off her naked body after her usual morning bath."

"Heh~? Is that so? She must be beautiful."

"Of course! That's why I always have to at least stay a night or two in this village! I have to… Wait a second…"

Jiraiya, having slowly recognized the voice behind him, broke into a cold sweat. He slowly turned around and saw Naruto staring at him with an unreadable expression. It was obvious that the blonde was upset, if the set of shuriken in his hands were anything to go by.

"Run!"

"Ah! Wait, take with you! How could you leave your precious leader behind!"

Jiraiya swiped at the NEETS that had been with him all morning, but they all managed to use the teleport spell and disappeared before he could grab them. The man then tried to make a run for it, but one of the shuriken that was previously in Naruto's hands buzzed past him and stuck into a nearby tree.

Sweat pouring down his face, Jiraiya did the only thing he could do. He scrambled to the floor and apologized.

* * *

"Seriously… Not only did you ditch me after trying to dump one of your problems onto me, but then I find you peeping at the Demon King's daughter of all people? She's not some monster girl, is she?"

With Jiraiya in seiza in front of him, Naruto walked over to the telescope and took a quick peek.

Jiraiya smirked when he saw Naruto's face turn red but was quick to advert his gaze when the boy shot him a glare.

'This guy…!'

Naruto thought with a twitching eyebrow when Jiraiya started whistling to himself. This man wasn't even sorry in the slightest. Naruto was glad he was able to find a party member in the end, otherwise he would have just left without seeing Jiraiya.

"I heard about the reason that law was formed. But you know what, I don't even want to know why you talked a bunch of NEETS into helping you peep for three days straight. Is that why you wanted to learn magic? So that it can help you in your 'research'?"

"Hey, don't mistake my peeping practices for my research. When I do research, it's much more professional. After all, it's for my best-selling novels."

Jiraiya said with a smug smile.

"Is that so? Maybe I should start writing, then maybe I'd have enough money to pay for an inn."

"A-ah, sorry about that…"

"That's okay, I put the bill on your tab. Anyways, I just wanted to tell you I found a mage for my party. We're going back to Axel. You're probably going to stay here a couple more days, right? So I guess I'll see you later."

"Hang on, you just said something I can't ignore. You put what on my tab?"

Jiraiya looked up at Naruto suspiciously, but the teen merely waved his hand dismissively.

"That's not important right now. I was wondering… My goal is to defeat the Demon King, and his castle is right there. What if I-"

Naruto started saying while looking towards the Demon King's castle, but Jiraiya put a hand up to stop the boy.

"I'm gonna stop you right there. If you really wanted to defeat the Demon King right now, then wouldn't you have gone to the castle when you heard this village was so close to it? I didn't want to say anything since you seemed so adamant on doing it, but do you really want to be the one to defeat the Demon King?"

Naruto blinked. He hadn't been expecting such a response, but the question raised a strange feeling in him.

"That…"

Wait, why _didn't_ he just storm to the King's castle right away in the first place? Naruto didn't want to sound arrogant, but he was fairly confident that he and Kurama could take on anyone if they were working together.

Could it be that… he didn't want to?

Naruto quickly shook the thought out of his head.

That would be ridiculous. After all, the very purpose of him coming to this world was to defeat the Demon King. An actual goddess was counting on him. The Demon King posed a threat to humanity, and he couldn't just sit by and let innocent people continue to die. To abandon this mission would go against every rule in his book.

Seeing the troubled look on Naruto's face, Jiraiya looked off into the distance and sighed. His students all had a strong sense of righteousness, and it seemed Naruto was still impatient about things. He was probably thinking he wanted to defeat the Demon King as fast as possible to save everyone.

But that's no way to live after being given a second chance at life.

"Listen, Naruto. I know you want to defeat the Demon King, but I think you should slow down a little. There's no need to rush. You've only been in this world for what, two, maybe three weeks?"

"But…"

"Look at it this way. Let's say you go to the Demon King's castle right now and manage to defeat the guy. What would that look like to the world, to the royal army? Some random kid with demonic powers shows up out of nowhere and defeats the Demon King. In the eyes of people who don't know you, it'll look like someone trying to take over the role and title of the "Demon King"."

"…"

Naruto fell silent. He hadn't thought that far ahead, but Jiraiya was probably right. The adventurers back at the guild had mostly avoided him after he revealed he was a jinchuuriki, but Naruto didn't mind because he figured they just didn't know him yet. In fact, some of them were beginning to warm up to him before he left on this trip.

The same could be said about the rest of the world. Who was to say they wouldn't see him as a threat if he went and defeated the Demon King right now?

"But wait. You're well known to this world, right? What if you came with me? I'm sure together we could-"

"Nope. That wouldn't work either."

"Why not!?"

Naruto shouted in frustration when Jiraiya turned him down a second time. With Jiraiya there, they would have to worry about looking like a threat to the kingdom. But why didn't he want to go?

"There's a reason why I can't defeat the Demon King, and it has actually has something to do with that bratty goddess that was in Axel for some reason…"

Jiraiya said while scratching his cheek nervously, as if he were reminiscing a bad memory.

"Aqua? What does she have to do with…"

It was then Naruto realized something.

Jiraiya had died a couple months before Naruto and Kazuma had. If Aqua was telling the truth about her being an actual goddess, then Jiraiya must have met her in the realm between worlds before Kazuma dragged her to this world and Eris replaced her.

But why would Jiraiya say he couldn't defeat the Demon King?

"I'll save the details for another time… But in short, I'm not really supposed to be in this world. The gods have rules about who they reincarnate to other worlds. Those rules weren't considered for me back then for reasons, so that's why I can't be the one to defeat the Demon King."

"Huh…"

Naruto was still confused, but he nodded his head anyway. Jiraiya looked tired just thinking about his past experience with Aqua so he wouldn't pry into it anymore. He'd have to ask Aqua about her meeting with Jiraiya later when he got home.

Jiraiya patted his student on the shoulder and grinned.

"Look kid, just take it slow. Keep helping people through the adventurer's guild to get your name out there, but make sure to have some fun on the way. Make new friends, learn some magic, get a girlfriend."

Naruto sent the man a flat look at the last part, and Jiraiya chuckled before he continued.

"You may have been given another chance to live because the gods want you to defeat the demon king, but you shouldn't let that control how you spend your new life. I think you should do the things you couldn't back in Konoha. Enjoy yourself."

Jiraiya said before he turned around to walk back to the Crimson Magic Clan Village, but not before giving Naruto one last cheeky grin.

"Send little miss ninety-five my regards."

Naruto tilted his head in confusion, but then realized what his mentor was getting at.

"W-wait, how do you know about that!? That was only a test to see compatible we were to be party members!"

"Gahahaha! Enjoy yourself!"

His ears burning red in embarrassment, Naruto grumbled to himself and started walking in the opposite direction of the laughing sage towards the griffon statue in front of the village. Jiraiya was obviously misunderstanding something, but that didn't matter.

'Hey, Kurama? What do you think we should do?'

Naruto thought to his inner demon while looking at the Demon King's castle in the distance.

' **Keh! Isn't it obvious? We pick fights with the strongest beings this world has to offer. But just so you know, I'm sure the number of strong opponents would drop if we were to go and decimate that castle now.'**

'So, in other words… The Demon King can wait?'

' **I don't care what you do brat, just keep entertaining me so I won't feel like I'm wasting my time here.'**

Kurama growled and cut the mental link between them.

"So, it's settled then! Back to Axel it is!"

Naruto said and turned his view away from the Demon King's castle.

'I should probably hurry too, Wiz is probably…'

Naruto's thoughts trailed off when he remembered the clumsy shopkeeper with a ramen addiction. How many days had he been gone?

…

"Crap! Wiz is probably going berserk right now! I gotta hurry home!"

* * *

 **With Yunyun…**

At the front of the village next to the petrified griffon that served as a landmark stood a nervous looking girl who was all geared up to travel.

Despite her appearance, Yunyun was actually writhing with excitement. She was finally in party! It wasn't a temporary group, or someone asking for her help, but an actual party with real party members!

"We're going to Axel, and that's where Megumin is. I wonder what she'll think of Naruto-San…"

But wait! If Megumin were to learn about the results of the compatibility test, surely she would say something along the lines of: 'I knew Yunyun would fall prey to a nice guy', or 'Yunyun is so easily fooled by nice words'.

"Megumin definitely cannot find out!"

"What about Megumin?"

"!"

Yunyun jumped when Naruto was suddenly right next to her. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even notice him.

—A couple minutes later and the two were on the road.

"I'm surprised Naruto-San knows Megumin."

"Yeah, she's in the party of a drinking buddy of mine. Kazuma sure has his hands full though, Megumin can be a little..."

"I apologize for any trouble she has caused you!"

Yunyun blurted out and bowed deeply, causing Naruto to sweatdrop.

"N-no, it isn't like that… Well, she did make me learn that stupid spell."

"…Stupid spell?"

"Yeah, but I haven't tried using it yet because I'm afraid I won't be able to move after doing so like her."

Naruto said while scratching at his whisker marks. Maybe it was time he tried using Explosion magic, he now had a party member to look after him if he dropped from mana exhaustion.

Yunyun was about to retort about learning that useless spell was when she realized something.

"Don't be silly Naruto-San. I may be inexperienced with friends, but even I can tell that you're joking. I once read in a book about friendship that friends often joke about absurd things. That spell costs way too many skill points and requires too much mana for humans to-"

"No, it's true. Look, here's my adventurers card."

Naruto said and showed his stat card to Yunyun, and her eyes bulged upon seeing 'Explosion' under his skills tab.

"You actually learned that useless spell!? I can't believe Megumin would force you to waste so many skill points! Wrong! That Megumin is always causing trouble! She even dares to call herself the number one mage despite learning such an insufficient spell! To think that her obsession with Explosion magic would even affect Naruto-San… I'm very sorry for the trouble she caused you!"

Naruto was taken aback from the normally quiet Yunyun's outburst. But it seems like she and Megumin were quite close. Despite what Yunyun says about not having friends, she sure was close with a lot of people from her village. Arue, the fortune teller lady, and now Megumin.

"Hahaha! You really are weird Yunyun, thanks for joining my party."

"Eh? Ah, no… Please take care of me."

Yunyun said and looked away to hide her growing blush.

"Hey, I think we're far enough from the village now. Would you mind if I tried using Explosion magic?"

Naruto asked when they entered an open field.

"I don't mind, but I don't think I would be able to carry Naruto-San very far if monsters show up…"

"That's okay, I have confidence in my stamina! But even if I collapse, I'll have Yunyun to protect me!"

"L-leave it to me!"

Yunyun said and pulled out her silver dagger. If Naruto was willing to place his trust in her, then she couldn't let him down! If monster did show up, then she could show him what she was capable of as a mage.

Naruto nodded and recited the incantation he had been secretly memorizing after Megumin forced the spell onto him.

'Ready Kurama?'

' **Sure, but I don't know why you would waste your time with this pale imitation of a tailed beast ball.'**

'Do you always have to say something snarky when I ask you for help? Just help me with the technique already.'

Naruto responded to the fox, and his eyes snapped crimson red.

Truth be told, Naruto had actually tried using Explosion magic before. But just like when he tried making a mini-Tailed Beat Ball by himself, he had trouble condensing all the required energy. So the plan was to have Kurama help him with the mana collection.

It was after Naruto used the Steal ability for the first time when he discovered that his chakra and mana were treated as the same energy source in his body. He hadn't noticed at first since the Steal ability required so little mana/chakra. But then he tried using multiple times and eventually felt a drain on his reserves.

As a result, Naruto learned that his ninjutsu, along with his spells, took from both his chakra AND his mana reserves. So as such, he had twice as much energy as he did when he was in the Elemental Nations.

But this didn't apply to Kurama, and they figured it was because the fox didn't need two nearly infinite sources of energy.

" **Darkness shrouded in light…"**

As Naruto continued the incantation, the wind around them began to stir. With Kurama's help much like they made a Tailed Beast Ball, mana began to concentrate into Naruto's outstretched right hand.

Yunyun had witnessed Megumin's Explosion magic many times in the past, but she was surprised to see Naruto effortlessly draw out this much energy. She always felt that he was suppressing his power, but she never thought it was to this extent.

" **Burst forth, Explosion!"**

Naruto shouted, and the condensed ball of mana shot out of his palm and out into the forest.

BOOM!

A dozen trees fell prey to the fiery combustion caused by the spell, and a strong gust of wind flew passed them shortly after.

It wasn't quite as big as Megumin's Explosion, but Naruto was expecting that. After all, it was his first time using the spell.

'Megumin sure is talented to be able to use this spell on her own. I don't think I'll be able to use Explosion magic without you Kurama…'

' **You just need to work on your chakra control. Figures it would affect your control over this world's magic. It's still shit.'**

'Thanks, Kurama…'

Naruto let out a short breath as his eyes reverted to their normal blue. With the initial test complete, he now had another powerful technique in his arsenal. Now he had to train himself, and test out some other ideas he had…

After the wind settled down, Yunyun was expecting Naruto to collapse due to mana exhaustion. But to her surprise, he turned around and grinned.

"That was a pretty good test shot, don't you think?"

"I-is Naruto really human?"

Naruto frowned. What was this girl talking about?

"That's rude. Of course I'm human!"

"Ah! I'm sorry! It's just… Megumin is considered a prodigy in our clan. She was ranked number one in our school and even graduated early. But even with her massive mana reserves, she can only use Explosion magic once a day before collapsing to mana exhaustion, and Naruto-San is still standing…"

Yunyun said while poking her fingers together nervously. She didn't mean to offend him in anyway, it was just that humans couldn't normally use Explosion magic due to the spells insane mana requirement.

Devils and Undead who had inhuman reserves and extra skill points from living so long learned the skill for fun, but for a human to use the spell and still standing without a hint of exhaustion was unheard of.

"That spell still took about a third of my mana reserves, but I guess you could say I cheated and had the demon that's sealed inside me help with the spell."

Naruto said and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He then blinked when he realized he never told Yunyun about Kurama.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you… But I have a giant nine-tailed fox demon sealed inside my gut."

How could he forget to mention something so important? Maybe it was because Arue had already known, so Naruto must have unconsciously assumed all the Crimson Magic Clansman knew about it. He just hoped this didn't change Yunyun's mind about joining his party.

Yunyun tilted her head when Naruto started laughing awkwardly. Was he worried that she would hate him because of the demon?

"If you change your mind about being in my party, I'll understan-"

"Nonsense! I-I fine with becoming friends with anyone! Be it human, animal, or inanimate objects! I heard about the rumors of that man's pupil having a demon sealed in him, and Arue told me they were true, but I don't mind at all!"

Yunyun said fiercely.

"I-is that so? That's a relief then… Wait, inanimate objects?"

Naruto said when he realized Yunyun had said something rather strange.

"Ah… I was feeling lonely one day at the river next to the village when I found a shiny rock, so I decided to make it my friend. But the next day, I challenged Megumin to a duel and she decided the competition would be a rock skipping competition. So she took my friend and threw it into the river…"

H-how cruel…

"I forfeited the match and spent the rest of the day trying to find my friend, but I could never find it. Ah, but don't worry! I'm over it now! Please don't cry for my sake! It'll make me sad too!"

Yunyun said when tears started flowing down Naruto's face.

"B-but that's… That's just so sad! How could Megumin be so cruel!?"

"That's just the way Megumin is. We used to have daily competitions at school, but Megumin always won and claimed my lunch as a consolation prize."

She even took her lunch!?

Naruto decided Megumin would be the target for his next big prank.

"A-anyways, I'm sure monsters are going to be attracted by that explosion. So we should get going now."

Yunyun said and took the lead into the forest with a depressed and secretly angry Naruto following behind her.

After a couple minutes of silent walking, Naruto spoke up.

"Don't worry Yunyun, next time we visit the Crimson Magic Village I'll help you find your long-lost friend!"

"Please don't!"

* * *

 **A:N: Sorry for the delay, school has been kicking my butt…**

 **As always, thank you Acidash for going Beta-Mode!**

 **Now then, in regards to Naruto requiring Kurama's help for Explosion. I just know people are going to on my case for this, but hear me out.**

 **In case you didn't understand the explanation(or my attempt to explain it in the chapter just sucked), Naruto has both Chakra and Mana, AND his techniques take from both reserves. The spells and techniques learned in KonoSuba are instantly learned when you acquire said skill, but this does not entirely apply to Naruto. Since he also has Chakra, and a lot of it might I remind you, it hiders his ability to control it. Which is why he requires Kurama's help to do the tailed beast bomb, as that technique uses a LOT of chakra.**

 **Explosion magic is the same, it requires the most mana out of all the skills we've seen so far in KonoSuba, and so Naruto can't do it by himself since uses mana AND chakra to cast it since his chakra control still sucks. At least for now.**

 **Now then, with the explanation out of the way, I bid you adieu! See you next time!**

 **P.S. 700 reviews! ^^**


	23. Axel's Ninja Returns

It took a couple days for Naruto and Yunyun to walk back to Alcanretia due to thee latter's inability to tree walk. But during their travels, Naruto was able to see what his newest member was capable of.

To say the least, he was quite impressed.

Yunyun was able to perform various types of spells, she was able to guard both the front and the rear, and just had overall great judgement. The Crimson Magic Clan was well known for their high intelligence stats, and Yunyun was a prime example of this fact.

Another thing Naruto learned about Yunyun was that they were quite similar. She aspired to become the Crimson Magic Village's next chief, and always tried her best to train and become stronger. It was just like when he was younger and wanted to become the Hokage…

Shaking the nostalgic thoughts out of his head, Naruto leaned outside of the window of the carriage they were riding.

As soon as they reached to the top of this next incline, he was expecting to see the great wall that separated the people of Axel from the wilderness…

…Except that very wall was now in shambles.

"What the hell happened!?"

Naruto shouted as he took in the pitiful state of the front gates of the town of beginners. The structure looked as though a huge force slammed into it. Construction workers were littered all over the place, but it seemed like their work was only in the beginning stages. Did that mean it only happened recently?

Yunyun poked her head out next to Naruto and stared at the shattered gates with wide eyes.

"Wow… I wonder what happened?"

"Let's go find out."

After getting off the carriage when it reached the stopping point and splitting the cost for the ride, Naruto and Yunyun spotted a construction worker who seemed to be on break.

"Hey, what happened to the walls? Was it a monster attack?"

"Hm? Ah, you must have missed it. No, this damage was actually caused by a flood."

"A flood?" x2

Naruto and Yunyun looked at each other, then back at the burly man incredulously. It didn't seem like the man was lying, but what could have caused a flood? There wasn't an ocean anywhere near the town.

"Ah… I wish the little miss would come back to the team. With her skills, we could be done with this mess in a week. Even though I hear she was the one who caused it all…"

The construction worker mumbled to himself before throwing a towel over his shoulder and walking back towards the work site.

"Maybe Luna-Chan will be able to tell us more… Oh shoot! First I need to feed Wiz! Sorry Yunyun, but I gotta go! Let's meet up at the adventurer's guild tonight!"

"Ah…!"

Yunyun reached out when Naruto suddenly took off running into the town. She wanted ask if he wanted to walk to the inn together, but it couldn't be helped if he already had plans.

"Oh well… I guess I'll go to the inn by myself."

She wondered who Wiz was. Naruto said something about feeding them, so maybe a pet?

* * *

After creating two clones and sending them to the apartment, one to make the ramen and the other to disperse to notify him when they were done, Naruto decided he'd try and find Kazuma at the stables. He had to wait for the ramen to be made anyway, might as well make use of his clones to kill two birds with one stone.

Stepping into the stables, Naruto walked all the way down to the stall where he remembered Kazuma and Aqua were staying at. But when he peeked inside, they were nowhere to be found.

In fact, the whole stall was cleaned out. All that was left was a pile of dirty hay.

"W-wait… Don't tell me Kazuma and Aqua died on a quest!"

Naruto screamed and fell to his hands and knees. How could this happen? He was only gone for a week…

"Shut up! Do you wanna die!?"

A loud voice shouted, which was followed by a loud thud that made Naruto flinch. At the same time, he felt small tug in the back of his mind that indicated his clone dispersing.

* * *

'Phew… At least Kazuma and them didn't die while I was gone…'

Naruto thought as he walked up to the steps to Wiz's store. It turned out Kazuma and Aqua had only moved out of the stables, but the angry man that had yelled at him didn't know where. Naruto decided he'd ask Luna at the adventurer's guild later.

After retrieving the three bowls of miso ramen that his clone made at his apartment, Naruto had hustled over to Wiz's shop. He'd kept his fellow ramen lover waiting long enough.

Ramen withdrawal was no laughing matter, and he had already claimed to take responsibility. He remembered that had made Wiz smile for some reason. But Naruto didn't think it was funny, as it was only the right thing to do since he was the one that introduced the lich to the food of the gods.

"I'm back Wiz!"

Naruto shouted upon opening the door. Just what kind of state was his friend going to be in?

"Oh! Welcome back, Naruto-San! I trust your trip went well?"

To Naruto's surprise, Wiz was standing behind the counter in the back of the shop with her usual cheery smile.

"…Yeah, it did."

The blonde said after a second and walked in, closing the door behind him. He was a little weirded out that Wiz seemed perfectly fine, but that was good thing… Right?

Naruto placed the box that contained the bowls of noodles on the table.

"Sorry I was gone for so long, the place I went to was really far. But I found a mage for my party!"

"That's wonderful! I'm sorry I couldn't join your party…"

"That's okay, I know you really want to focus on your store. The mage I found is really strong, but she's a little shy and doesn't have many friends so I was wondering if I could maybe bring her here sometime?"

Naruto guessed that maybe it would be easier for Yunyun to talk to Wiz since they both shared something in common. Wiz was also a very friendly person, and he could see her getting along with any type of person.

"Of course! I wouldn't mind at all!"

Wiz said in a chirpy voice, and the two stood in silence for a couple seconds.

'I knew it… There really is something wrong with Wiz.'

Naruto thought as he eyed his cheerful friend with narrowed eyes. Not only was Wiz acting more cheerful than usual, but she hadn't once looked at him in the eye since he walked into the room.

She hadn't taken her eyes off the box the entire time.

"How are you feeling Wiz? You weren't lonely while I was gone, were you? I also hope the ramen withdrawal wasn't too much to handle…"

"Of course not! Kazuma-San was kind enough to visit every day! He even brought me snacks!"

Wiz responded without missing a beat, but her eyes were still glued to the box on the table.

'Well at least Kazuma held his end of the bargain.'

Naruto thought before placing a hand on the box.

"Oh yeah, I brought you some ramen. Have you eaten yet today?"

"How thoughtful of you, Naruto-San! But I just ate not too long ago-"

Grumble…

"…"

Seeing Wiz's face turn red, Naruto got a sudden urge to tease her.

"That's a shame. I just made three bowls, and even added some extra pork slices in them too."

"I-I'm sorry. Next time I'll-"

 **Gurgle…!**

"…"

Wiz's face turned even darker and she hid her face behind her hands, prompting the cheeky shinobi to smirk. Now she only needed one more push.

Naruto opened the box that contained the ramen, and the room was immediately filled with the aroma of soup.

"This was always my favorite part about takeout ramen. When you open the box and the steam comes out-"

"Ah! I can't take it anymore!"

* * *

"Kazuma! Kazuma! I felt it again today! It really felt like I missed something very important! Perhaps this is the works of a hidden skill… Sense Explosion!"

Megumin said loudly as she followed Kazuma through town.

"There's no such skill."

Kazuma retorted without so much as a thought.

"Heh… Kazuma may be a good at appraising Explosion magic, but you are still but a fletching after all."

"Yeah yeah… Anyways, why are you following me? I'm just going to give Wiz her daily rations."

"Because afterwards, we're going on our daily scenic walk."

Megumin said and added slight skip to her step.

To any other guy, that sentence might have left them flustered. But Kazuma already knew what this girl who had recently earned the title "Explosion Girl" was referring to, as it had become a daily ritual of sorts when their party didn't go on a quest.

"Even after yesterday… Do you not feel any remorse? People died, you know?"

"Aqua healed everyone, so all's well that ends well. But more importantly, why is Kazuma bringing food to that shop so diligently when you don't even want to go on quests?"

This girl…

"I promised Naruto that I would look out for Wiz until he returned, and I'm not such a man that so easily breaks his promises."

Megumin eyed Kazuma suspiciously.

"…Did Kazuma ask Naruto for something outrageous in return? After all, Naruto is earnest to a fault when it comes to Wiz, and Kazuma would definitely take advantage of this fact and-"

"Don't make me sound like some sort of villain! I'm just paying Naruto back for all the times Aqua forced him to treat her!"

*Stare*

Megumin continued to stare at Kazuma, prompting the boy to advert his gaze.

"H-hmph! A loli like you wouldn't understand a compromise between men! Hah hah hah!"

"L-loli…!? Say, if you want to fight instead going on a walk with a beautiful woman, then go ahead and keep talking."

Seeing as Megumin's short fuse was already gone, Kazuma decided to keep his mouth shut until they arrived at Wiz's magic shop.

But when they opened the door…

"Hey Wiz, I brought you some sobaaaaAAHH!? What are you doooing!?"

Kazuma nearly dropped the when he saw the scene in front of him.

"Oh, hey Kazuma."

Naruto looked up from where he was sweeping and said.

"I'm sorry, Kazuma-San… *Slurp!* I tried to hold myself back, but… *Slurp!* Naruto-San's ramen is just too good!"

Wiz said as she scarfed down the bowl of noodles, tears of pure joy streaming down her cheeks.

Naruto nodded with a look of pride in his face.

"Ramen!? That's why you were acting like you were having withdrawal symptoms!?"

—A couple minutes later and everyone was seated at the table as Wiz placed down a fresh pot of tea.

"All my hard work… Gone… Because of ramen…"

Kazuma wept anime tears with his forehead on the table.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you about Wiz's ramen withdrawal…"

Naruto said while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, and Kazuma shot straight up.

"Sorry my ass! That woman nearly froze me solid! Twice! Do you know how long it took to finally get her to calm down!? My heart may never heal from that experience…"

"I-I'm so sorry!"

Wiz stammered while bowing furiously.

"Calm down, Kazuma. You're overreacting. But what did Naruto feed Wiz to make her crave it so strongly? Mmm… This is really good."

Megumin said calmly before taking a sip of the tea she had been given, and her eyes widened slightly.

"Th-thank you… But the food that Naruto-San so kindly gives me is-"

"Only the food of the gods! Ramen!"

Naruto stated proudly, interrupting Wiz and standing up out of his chair.

Megumin looked to Kazuma for an explanation.

"Ramen is a cheap food from my home country…"

"Ch-cheap…!?"

"But this further proves that you made up your backstory about being a ninja and that you're from Japan! You fake ninja! You ruined all my hard work to fix Wiz!"

"F-fake…!?"

The odds of Naruto being from another world that had the same ninjas AND ramen that originated in Japan was highly unlikely. Aqua said that she was the goddess who watched over Japan, and Naruto said he met Eris who Aqua said had taken over her job when she was brought to this world. So Kazuma decided that Naruto had come up with his backstory to look cool in this new world or something.

Of course, Megumin didn't know about any of this and Kazuma didn't want to bother explaining it all so he kept himself from blurting it all out.

Naruto's upper body hunched over, his bangs showing his eyes in an eerie fashion.

"Hoho… You've done it now, Kazuma… I was excited that someone else knew about ramen, but it seems you are a disappointment with all this talk of nonsense. Let's take this outside so I can show you what a real ramen loving ninja is!"

"Isn't that something a street thug would say!?"

"Wha-!? D-damn it…"

With Kazuma's quick retort, Naruto was left without a reason to beat him up because if he did just take things outside with the guy then he really would just be acting like a delinquent. Openly fighting in the streets wasn't the way of the ninja.

As Naruto pondered a way to prove that he was a ninja, Megumin placed the cup of tea onto the table.

"Anyways, now that Naruto is back… Isn't it finally time we settled things? Let us go on a scenic walk outside of town and-"

"No way, I just got back. Besides, I still have to introduce my new party member to Dust."

Naruto responded without even looking her way.

As Megumin dealt with the idea of being denied so easily, Kazuma took the opportunity to question Naruto.

"You found a new party member?"

"She's a mage, and a really strong one at that! On our way back, she showed me all the spells she could use. I couldn't keep track of all the awesome skills she has!"

Naruto said with proud grin on his face.

"Eh? That mage actually sounds competent!"

"Implying you know of an incompetent mage? Tell me, who is this incompetent mage? I'd really like to meet them."

Megumin said in a dark tone while poking Kazuma's back with her staff.

"If you guys want to meet her, we're meeting at the adventurer's guild later. Although she is a little shy..."

Alarms went off in Kazuma and Megumin's heads at the same time, both for different reasons.

'Wait a minute… A female mage that can use more than one spell, and this is Naruto we're talking about... with his luck… Damn it! I'm so jealous!'

Kazuma thought while glaring daggers at the oblivious blonde in the room.

'A shy mage… No, it can't be. There's no way that person with no social skills would be able to join a party. Although Naruto is a nice guy when it counts…'

Megumin thought while staring at Naruto intensely.

Naruto sweatdropped as the two continued to stare at him so strongly. He looked at Wiz, only to see her to shake her head nervously.

"U-umm… Did I do something wrong?"

* * *

Dust opened his eyes to find himself in a small, worn out looking room. He was in a bed covered in old white sheets.

'Where… Ah, this must be the Eris Church. I was thrashed pretty hard back there.'

He thought before closing his eyes again and snuggling into the blanket. Hey, he was brought there against his will. Might as well make himself comfortable.

At that moment, the door to the room opened and Dust cracked an eye open to see a beautiful girl wearing a nun's attire walk in.

'Right on time. Time to heal my heart with a beautiful Nee-San.'

Dust thought and repositioned himself to get a full view of the girl's voluptuous figure. He still wondered why they put him in such a run-down room, but with the events that happened yesterday it would only make sense if the Eris Church was short on rooms.

"I see you're awake. That's wonderful."

The priestess said and placed a chair next to the bed.

"Thank you for taking care of me, but I still feel a little sore. I was beat pretty bad, you see. All because of such a trivial thing too. Just thinking about it makes me angry."

"Is that so? Maybe talking about it would make you feel better? I wouldn't mind lending an ear."

"I think you're right. Holding in negative emotions is bad for your health, you know?"

"Indeed. One of our doctrines states that one must not stiffly suppress oneself, and to relax and live without care."

Dust didn't recall the Eris Cult having such a carefree doctrine, but it didn't matter to him. He didn't bother memorizing any of them anyway.

"Just what was that guy's problem anyway? All I did was flirt with his two female companions. It was their fault for coming into the bar dressed in such cute outfits. Not flirting with them would be an insult. I'm a gentleman so I made sure to cope a good feel of their asses."

It was common sense for a guy to hit on a girl inside a bar. But no, they had to go make him look like a bad buy by screaming and calling him a pervert.

"As a priestess, I cannot encourage sexual harassment. But it definitely sounds like those sluts deserved it."

"Right? I was just going to scare them a little more, but then that guy with the magic sword appeared and threatened to beat me up. What an unreasonable bastard, threatening people with violence right off the bat."

Man, the Eris cultist taking care of him today was quite an understandable person. Not like the other ones who always acted like they had sticks up their butts. Normally they would have kicked him out by now.

"Luckily the next day, I happened find his sword for sale in a shop I frequent. What an idiot to have lost his sword like that. Anyways, I bought the sword and stashed it in an abandoned warehouse I barrowed for insurance. I talked Mitsurugi into buying the key to the warehouse for five million Eris."

"F-five million Eris!?"

"Yeah, but I spent it all on tomatoes which are worth a lot right now since they're not in season, and they were all lost by the flood… On top of that, that man found out that I ripped him off and so he beat me up."

"Oh, I see. What a shame. You were quite handsome for a second there."

The priestess said with a disappointed look on her face.

How rude to say something like that to someone's face. But Dust decided he would let it slide this time since he was in such a good mood.

"I've been facing nothing but trouble these past couple days. Switching parties with those girls with screws loose in their heads, losing all that hard-earned cash to a random flood, then getting beaten up by a prude who doesn't know a man's romance. But it's all good. I'm just glad I was found by such a cute Onee-San from the Eris Cult to heal my wounded heart."

"Oh, you're not in an Eris church."

"…What?"

"After the battle, the beautiful priestess with blue hair healed everyone so the Eris church is void of patients."

No…

"But it seemed those evil cultists didn't want to take you in, so the kind and righteous me stepped in and did the right thing-"

NOOO!

Dust sprang out of the bed and aimed for the door, but a death like grip on his shoulder stopped him from even touching the handle.

"-and brought you to the Axis Church! Aren't you happy that such a beautiful Nee-Chan nursed you back to health?"

"No! Let go! I don't want to sell my soul to the devil!"

Dust yelled and tried to break free of the Axis Priestess's hold, but her grip was surprisingly strong.

How could he have been so stupid? He wasn't expecting to be brought to the Axis cult church because it was short on members in this town. Now that Dust thought of it, he didn't recognize this priestess. Her blue nun's outfit should have been a dead giveaway, but he was fairly aware of all the Axis Cultists to avoid them at all costs and he hadn't recognized her.

It seemed Dust's comment wasn't taken very well by the priestess, seeing as her smile faulted slightly.

"Now then, as payment for healing you and listening to your troubles…"

The girl said and pulled out of piece of paper out of seemingly nowhere.

"HELP ME!"

* * *

 **A/N: So I was looking at the site, and noticed that there is still only five Naruto/KonoSuba stories! Come on people, get writing! This crossover deserves more love! :(**


	24. My Party Will Be-!

After chatting with Wiz for a little longer, Naruto followed Kazuma and Megumin onto the streets of Axel. They were going in a direction in town that Naruto hadn't explored much, but it was apparently where their new living quarters was located.

"What have you guys been up to while I was gone? Go on any good quests?"

Naruto asked while walking with his hands behind his head.

Kazuma snickered. To show off his great achievements to his kohai, that was one of the things he had been looking forward to since coming to this world.

"Fufu… Now that you mention it-"

"This is what I was trying to tell you earlier! Listen here, Naruto!"

Megumin completely cut Kazuma off by running in front of the two boys and striking a pose.

"I, Megumin, whose calling is that of an Arch Wizard, wielder of the ultimate magic that is Explosion, am the winner of our competition!"

"…Competition?"

Naruto asked while scratching his cheek awkwardly, causing the little girl to falter in her stance.

"Y-you forgot… No matter! Our competition was to see who could defeat a high bounty target first! To which I, with a little help from Kazuma and the rest, defeated a Demon King Army General!"

Megumin declared and flicked her cape, her crimson eyes flaring brightly.

"Oh yeah, I did agree to something like that… Wait… What?"

Naruto's eyes widened when he realized the significance of Megumin's words.

'Tch… Little brat stole my bragging card. Oh well, I still have _that_.'

Kazuma thought with a twitching eyebrow, but he shrugged it off and motioned to a large building behind a fence.

"But that's not all! Our party just recently acquired-"

"Oh, and we got a mansion too."

Megumin said casually and opened the gate that led to the large manner, ushering for Naruto to walk in.

"You little…! I was going to let that lie of yours slide but wasn't it Aqua who-mmf!?"

Kazuma began to say, but he was quickly silenced by the mage.

As Kazuma and Megumin struggled against one another, Naruto mindlessly walked up to the house. His mind was still trying to process what Megumin had just claimed not two seconds ago, and now he was standing in front of a beautiful mansion that they now apparently lived in.

Before he left, Kazuma's party didn't seem very capable. They had highly ranked classes, excluding Kazuma's adventurers job, but their personalities caused way too many problems. Naruto was very aware of this fact, as Kazuma had been complaining about his party's lack of team compatibility every day in the adventurer's guild.

But not only did they defeat a Demon King Army General, but they even managed to obtain a mansion. All before he could even acquire a full party.

Naruto's mind couldn't comprehend the fact that Kazuma and his party of troublesome girls had gotten so far ahead of him in such a short amount of time.

"EHHHHH!?"

So he screamed.

A series of footsteps could be heard from within the large house and the front door swung open to reveal a familiar mob of blue hair.

"I thought I recognized that voice! Oh my? What's this? Are you so marveled by my mansion that you can't muster a single word? It's quite fitting, isn't it? For a goddess such as myself to be living in such a luxurious mansion that is!"

Aqua, who was still wearing her blue pajamas in the afternoon, boasted in broad daylight.

"…"

Naruto looked past Aqua and saw Darkness sitting at a table reading a newspaper.

"Oh, is that Naruto? Welcome back."

Darkness said with a warm smile, and Naruto managed a crooked smile.

"Hah… Ha ha…"

"Are you still so surprised that you can't even move? I guess it can't be helped, I'll show you around!"

Aqua said and dragged Naruto into the house, and they were shortly followed by Megumin and Kazuma.

"Didn't Aqua say she didn't want to leave her spot on the couch all day?"

"Yeah, she even fought me for that spot…"

Half of the reason Kazuma remembered to consistently visit Wiz's shop was because Aqua always beat him to the best seat in the house. Their couch was located right in front of the firepit, and it was quite cold in the morning, so it felt good to curl up and feel the warmth of the fire.

Even this morning, Kazuma challenged Aqua for the special spot and ultimately lost when she revealed that he stole some of their laundry. This led to the boy running from a very angry Darkness.

"Well, I guess we'll head to the adventurer's guild since everyone is up."

Kazuma said as Aqua dragged Naruto up the stairs to show him around the second floor.

"Finally! Kazuma decided to hold off on his NEET ways and go on a quest! Not that it's entirely a bad thing, but I really wanted to go on another quest!"

Having overheard Kazuma's decision, Darkness rushed off to get her sword. Her armor had been totaled in the fight against the Dullahan, but she didn't need it. In fact, it was blessing!

"D-don't call me a NEET! It's cold! It's just because it was cold, and I wanted to stay warm!"

Kazuma shouted after the fleeting Darkness, and he turned to see Megumin snickering.

"Gah! I'm going back to bed!"

"Oh no you don't! I want you to be the one to judge our Explosions!"

"Didn't Naruto already say he didn't want to do that today? H-hey! Let me go!"

Just as Kazuma and Megumin started fighting again, Naruto came running down the stairs while shouting.

"Damn it all! I'll catch up to you guys and get a mansion twice as big!"

SLAM!

Kazuma and Megumin stared at the front door that had just been slammed shut. They then looked back up the stairs to see Aqua walking down with a smug look on her face.

"…What did you say to him?"

"I only offered my help because he seemed so pitiful, but then he suddenly ran away. How rude to ignore the offer of a goddess. Oh well, I'll let it slide if he treats me to a drink."

'This girl really hasn't learned a thing…'

Kazuma thought with a twitching eyebrow, then his eyes suddenly widened.

"AH! I forgot to ask for Naruto _that_! You stupid goddess!"

"Hah!? Who are you calling a 'stupid goddess', you hiki-NEET!"

* * *

 **Adventurer's Guild…**

Naruto grumbled to himself as he entered the guild hall and walked straight to the receptionist desks.

"First I'll show Kazuma what a real ninja is…"

"U-um…"

"Then I'll show Megumin what true power is…"

"Naruto-San…"

"Then I'll show Aqua-"

"Naruto-San!"

Naruto blinked when someone yelled at him, and he realized he was already standing in front of Luna. He must have unconsciously walked to the receptionist desk while rambling to himself. Luna seemed to be troubled by something, but he fully aware of the reason.

"Luna-Chan! Give me a quest that's been giving people trouble!"

"I don't know what's got you so fired up, but you have to wait in line first Naruto-San!"

Luna said sternly and pointed to the back of the line that Naruto finally noticed he skipped, the male adventurers that were patiently waiting for the turn to talk with the pretty receptionist all glaring at him.

"Ah… Sorry…"

Naruto mumbled and walked to the back of the line.

—A couple minutes later and it was finally Naruto's turn.

"Now then, welcome back Naruto-San. How can I help you?"

"Okay, first of all, when did Kazuma and them defeat a Demon King General!? Also, how in the world did they get a mansion!? I was only gone for a week!"

Naruto said and slammed on the desk to emphasize his frustration.

Having dealt with rowdy adventurers on a daily basis, Luna retained a calm and professional demeaner despite having an angry teenager yelling in her face.

"About that…"

Apparently, a Dullahan from the Demon King's Army had appeared at the main gates of the town the day Naruto had left. Megumin had picked a fight with the General which resulted in Darkness getting cursed.

A week passed and the Dullahan came back furious when he learned that Aqua had broken the curse right after he left, which infuriated the undead knight and they ended up fighting. The battle ended with the adventurers winning, but mostly because of the efforts of Kazuma and his party.

"So Aqua was the one that caused the flood…"

Naruto said while palming his face. Maybe Aqua really was a goddess after all.

After hearing the vents that transpired in the past week he was still jealous that Kazuma's party defeated a Demon King Army General before him, but Naruto couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy...

Not only did Kazuma lost the reward for defeating the Dullahan, but he was also left with a huge debt. All because of Aqua and her flood level water magic. The girl even had the gall to brag to him about her "achievements".

It seemed that goddess still hadn't learned her lesson.

"Oh, and Naruto-San? Is that person an acquaintance of yours by chance? They've been staring at you for a while now…"

Luna asked and pointed towards the back of the guild, and Naruto followed her gaze and saw Yunyun sitting in the corner of the hall staring in their direction intensely.

When she saw Luna point in her direction, Yunyun frantically looked away and tried to act as though she were busy. But she failed miserably by knocking down the house of cards she had been building.

"AH! All my hard work!"

Yunyun shouted as she cleaned her mess with a miserable expression, but she blushed when she realized the attention she had drawn onto herself.

'What the-Yunyun was here!? I didn't notice her at all…'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop. He hoped she hadn't been waiting here the whole time… No, she probably went to the inn to rent a room, so she most likely didn't wait for too long.

"That's my new party member. As you probably noticed, she's from the Crimson Magic Clan. You wouldn't happen to know where Dust is, do you? I still haven't introduced them."

"Dust-San? No… He hasn't shown up at the guild for a couple days."

Luna said while adverting her gaze awkwardly.

'Don't tell me… Even Luna-Chan doesn't care about Dust?'

Naruto was beginning to feel really bad for the guy.

Dust may have… issues with his personality, but that didn't mean he was irredeemable. The guy just needed to be pointed in the right direction, and Naruto planned on doing just that.

Well, that and Naruto needed people crazy enough to go on insanely hard quests despite being low leveled adventures to quench his thirst for a challenge. Because Naruto Uzumaki was tired of hunting for packs of wolves!

"Hey, are you looking for Dust? Does he owe you money?"

Naruto turned around to see a girl looking at him with sharp green eyes. He vaguely remembered seeing her around the guild hall. Perhaps she was an adventurer?

"He doesn't owe me money… I think. I did treat him to a couple beers for agreeing to join my party though."

Naruto said while rubbing his chin when a memory resurfaced.

"Ah! That's right! I only treated him to one drink and he said he would pay me back! That's little…!"

"Blue eyes, blonde hair, and a short fuse that rivals the Explosion girl… Now I know why you seemed familiar. You're Naruto Uzumaki, the delinquent boss adventurer and one of the Panty and Bra Thief Brothers. That's you, right?"

The girl asked while making an obvious step backwards.

Naruto's eyebrow twitched at the mentioning of the "nicknames" he wanted to forget about.

"Hey, I resent those names. Also, they're all false rumors so please stop backing up."

The girl seemed surprised, and Naruto assumed she must have had some wild expectations.

"As a girl, I can't let my guard down around someone who has been dubbed an underwear thief. But you don't seem as bad as the rumors suggest, so I guess I can relax a little."

 _As bad?_

"Like I said. False rumors."

Naruto said through clenched teeth and a crooked smile. He really needed to find the person that spread those stupid rumors and give them a little taste of the One Thousand Years of Death technique.

"Who are you anyway? A friend of Dusts?"

"Adventuring companion. My name is Lynn, a mage of this guild. Besides Dust, those two are my other adventuring companions, Ketih and Tailor."

The now named Lynn said and pointed towards a table where two men, an archer and a crusader, sat.

"Lynn-San is more or less Dust-San's guardian."

Luna whispered into Naruto's ear while Lynn was looking away.

"So that's how it is…"

So she was like Kazuma, who Naruto thought of as the caretaker of a certain loud-mouthed Arch Priest.

"Hm?"

"Ah, n-nothing!"

Lynn sent the ninja a strange look as he laughed awkwardly before shrugging.

"Anyways, I just wanted to warn you. Nothing good will come from involving yourself with that man."

Naruto stopped laughing and frowned.

"H-hey… Dust may be a little rough around the edges, but he isn't that bad."

"Trust me. That thing is a deviant that won't hesitate to try and "borrow" money from you. He'll try and think of any way possible to get onto your good side, use devilish tricks to convince you, and he even peeps on the woman's bathhouse if left unchecked. That thing will even spend a night in jail just to avoid paying for a room at the inn."

…Did Naruto really let such a man into his party?

No, he knew what he was getting himself into the moment he offered Dust the invitation. All the guy needed was a little guidance. But hearing this girl talk so poorly about her party member rubbed Naruto the wrong way.

"How could you say that about your own party member? I get that Dust is a bit of a troublemaker, I used to be like that too. But I always had my friends to keep me on the right track. Aren't you, his party members, supposed to be his friends?"

Naruto suddenly said, and Lynn seemed to be taken aback by his change in attitude.

"I heard you guys were avoiding him just before I left. Is that all an adventuring party is to you people? You work together during quests and then ignore each other's problems when you come home if their personalities are a little hard to handle? Well that's not the kind of party I want to make! If my party members are in trouble, then I'll do my best to help them no matter what! That includes Dust!"

Naruto shouted and ran out the guild doors to go and search for Dust.

"…Well that was unexpected."

Lynn said before turning to the busty receptionist.

"I think you might be right about that guy. He may be the only one foolish enough to try and straighten Dust out."

"Who knows?"

Luna said in a cryptic tone, earning a strange look from the younger girl.

Naruto may seem like the foolish type on the outside, but Luna had been noticing that the whiskered teen had a strange way of bringing out the best of people.

Just before Naruto left, the adventurers seemed to have been working harder. There was a point where there was no longer any durian quest. But during the past week, especially after the event with the Dullahan, the adventurers slowly went back to their old ways.

Because why risk your life adventuring if you already have a hefty amount of reward money from defeating a Demon King General?

…

'…Did Naruto-San's speech apply to me too?'

Yunyun, who was still sitting in the corner of the guild hall, thought with teary eyes.

* * *

"I hope we're not too late. Knowing Naruto, he probably got impatient waiting for us and went on a quest."

"Did we even agree to meet at the adventurer's guild? He did just run off without saying anything to us."

"…"

Kazuma rubbed his chin in thought when Megumin brought up an important detail. They were on their way to the adventurer's guild to hopefully meet up with Naruto and his new party member.

"Well anyways, if they aren't there it's Aqua's fault."

"Why!? If anything, it's Darkness's fault for taking so long to find her sword!"

Aqua screeched before pointing at Darkness accusingly, who opened her mouth in surprise at suddenly being thrown under the bus.

"What!? B-but what about Megumin and Kazuma? They didn't do anything to stop Naruto! They were too busy fight with each other!"

"Huh? What nonsense are you saying? Stop Naruto? Had we gotten in that guy's way, he would have plowed right through us."

"Exactly. Naruto's a higher level and even Aqua and I."

Kazuma and Megumin responded accordingly. Naruto was able to punch a giant toad across a field, and they could only imagine what would happen if they tried to get in the way of such a powerhouse.

"Y-you're right… Maybe I should have tried getting in his way…"

Darkness mumbled with a tad bit of red staining her cheeks.

"No, that would have been like running into a brick wall. Maybe something even harder."

Kazuma said while shaking his head.

"D-d-d-don't say it like that! I don't even have my armor"

Darkness stammered, now on the verge of tears. Ever since the incident with the succubus, Kazuma's harassment towards her had gotten even harsher. It wasn't even the good kind either!

"Wow. One sentence is all he needs to move a woman to tears."

"As expected of _Scumzuma_."

"Kazutrash."

"Shut up! Who's calling me those names!? I seriously want to punch them in the face!"

Kazuma shouted angrily, and the three of them turned away in unison.

'Th-these girls…!'

Just as Kazuma began to think about turning around to go back home, he spotted Naruto running across the street. They were fairly close to the guild, so was he looking at them?

"Naruto! Heeeeyyy! Over here!"

It seemed Aqua had the same idea, and she began to flail her arms around while calling out to the blonde.

Naruto took one look at the group before he immediately went back to his search.

"!"

Kazuma stifled a laugh at the sight of Aqua fuming. But if Naruto wasn't looking for them, then who was he looking for?

"Oh well, it has nothing to do with us. Let's go look for an easy quest."

"What happened to setting a good example for one's kohai?"

Megumin said, causing Kazuma to stop in his footsteps.

"Grrr… Fine! What's up with that guy anyway!?"

Kazuma said after a couple seconds, and the party of four chased after Naruto.

* * *

 **A/N: And so, the hunt for Dust begins! But will they make it in time? What horrible things are the Axis Cultists doing to him? XD**

Interlude: The pervy old man's name is…?

Darkness: Hey Naruto? What happened to that wonderful-I mean, perverted old man from that one time? Didn't you leave town with him?

Kazuma: You just said wonderful, didn't you?

Darkness: No I didn't.

Naruto: The pervy sage? I left him behind when I found my new party member. He'll probably show up again later. Why?

Darkness: I-is that so? Next time we meet, he'll probably ogle my voluptuous body and think: "Boy that woman sure has a slutty body!"… I can't wait for that wonderful look-I mean,

Kazuma: You definitely just said wonderful just now.

Darkness: You must be imagining things.

Kazuma: You little…! Naruto! Don't you see through this pervert's antics!?

Darkness: Nngh…! P-pervert…!?

Naruto: Kazuma, it's rude call a girl a pervert. You're lucky Darkness is nice, because every girl I knew back at home would have knocked you through a couple buildings for saying that.

Kazuma: You still don't believe me!? Look at that pig in heat squirm in her armor!

Darkness: P-pig in heat!? Ahn~! As expected of the man I set my hopes on! Also, not being noticed at all is kind nice too…

Kazuma: You're the perverted old man!


	25. Return of the Crazy Priestess

"Dust! Where are you!"

Naruto hollered as he walked down a secluded alley in the far reaches of Axel. After all, he did first meet Dust in such a place so why wouldn't the guy be here now? For all Naruto knew, Dust could be picking a fight with random street thugs right now.

But what worried Naruto the most was what Luna had said.

'Dust hasn't been seen at the adventurer's guild for a couple days, and not since the Demon King Army General appeared… Where did he go?'

As Naruto was busy trying to figure out where his party member had gone, a couple figures could be seen peeking around the corner of the alleyway.

"Why are we hiding? He's just looking for that drunkard of a man that has a similar personality as you. I don't know why he would bother looking for that man anyway."

Aqua complained but kept her voice down. She would have just ran up to Naruto had it not been for the firm grasp on her shoulder.

"Just what about our personalities are similar, you goddess of wine? Never mind that. But my gut is telling me to wait."

Kazuma said as he held Aqua in place. If memory served correctly, Dust had been placed in medical care after the battle with the Dullahan. But knowing that guy, he was probably kicked out after a couple of hours.

Just what has Dust been up to that kept him away from the adventurer's guild?

This is what gave Kazuma a bad feeling. He wanted to give his drinking buddy the benefit of the doubt, but even he knew that Dust was easily angered and frequently picked fights with the wrong crowds. With his current financial status, thanks to a certain former what's-it-called, Kazuma couldn't afford to get into any trouble with the police.

So, they were hiding.

"Following someone from the shadows really goes against my morals of a Crusader. But I wonder if Naruto will get mad when he finds out and attack us. I heard he once threw a giant toad with his bare hands… Maybe I'll hide for a little longer."

Darkness said as her breathing gradually became heavier.

"You really are hopeless."

Kazuma said with a sweatdrop.

"Hey, is it just me or is someone screaming?"

Megumin asked and the group, including Naruto, looked up to see someone jump across the rooftops.

"AH! I'm gonna die!"

"Dust?"

Naruto said and immediately kicked off the narrow walls to quickly scale to the top of the building.

"How is he able to do that!?"

Kazuma said and ran up to the wall that Naruto just effortlessly climbed. Just what kind of powers did his 'cheat' give him? Was super human strength one of those perks?

"Looks like we lost him. Shall we head back to the guild and wait for them there?"

Darkness asked as she and the other two girls walked over to the only male in their party.

"No! I'm actually kind of curious as to why Dust has been missing as well! Come over here Darkness, use your hard muscles to throw up there!"

Kazuma said and pointed upwards, and Darkness's face immediately flared and angry red.

"D-don't call my muscles hard! Do you want me to throw you into the river nearby!? I'll gladly do that!"

* * *

Naruto landed on the rooftop with a light thud found that the person was indeed Dust. He was hunched over, hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Hah! Hah! That was really dangerous! I thought I was going to die…!"

Dust said through ragged breaths.

"Um… What are you doing?"

Naruto said while giving the teen a strange look, causing Dust to stiffen at the sound of his voice.

"Bo… Boss!? Is that really you!? Thank god you're back!"

Dust cried out and moved to tackle the whiskered teen out of sheer happiness. But seeing how sweaty the guy was, Naruto stepped out of the way and grabbed the back of Dust's jacket when he almost jumped off the roof.

"W-wah!"

"Whoops, sorry."

Naruto said and pulled his fellow blonde back up, and Dust plopped onto the ground on his butt.

"M-my life flashed before my eyes… Again…"

Naruto sighed.

"What are you doing, jumping across the rooftops like that?"

"I remember seeing Boss doing it one day and thought that maybe I could too. But that's not important right now! Boss, we got trouble! Or more specifically, you got trouble!"

Dust said with a new vigor and quickly got to his feet.

"You didn't use my name for anything, did you?"

Naruto said with a bitter smile. He was already becoming known as a delinquent boss, he didn't need Dust using his name to intimidate the local street thugs.

"That's a good idea, but no!"

"Oi."

"But seriously boss, you should have told me you were leaving to get married."

"I swear, if you use my name to-Wait… What did you just say?"

Naruto was about to go off on Dust and tell him not to use his name for anything that would further tarnish his reputation. That is, until he heard the guy say something strange.

"Yeah, I was surprised you'd want to settle down so quickly too. But I'll be more than happy to play the part as your best man. I hear that role gets you a lot of girls."

Dust said while elbowing Naruto in the ribs playfully.

Naruto's face paled. The only thing that came to mind when it came to the word marriage was…

"…Is she in this town?"

"Yeah, I met her when I was sent to the town's Axis Cult church to heal from some minor injuries. I'm sorry to say, but your girl's a little too crazy for me to handle, she is an Axis Cultist after all, so I ran away."

Dust casually said with a short nod.

"How did you escape her?"

Naruto said with a face of disbelief. That woman was able to catch up to him jumping rooftops while wearing HEELS of all things. The likelihood of Dust getting away from such a person was a little...

"Oh, that? I know these streets like the back of my hand! I've memorized every turn in case I ever needed to run away from someone."

Dust said smugly.

Shaking the feeling of déjà vu away, Naruto grabbed Dust's shoulders and shook him.

"Listen! I did NOT want to marry that person! She had an elaborate scheme planned out to get me to join the Axis Cult! She brought me to a restaurant and tried to force me into marriage! They were all in on it! Down to even the band that was playing!"

"S-seriously…?"

Dust said when Naruto stopped and looked him dead in the eye.

"How much did you tell her?"

"…"

When Dust adverted his gaze, a grave feeling washed over the jinchuuriki.

"You didn't…"

"I'm sorry! When I mentioned your name, she stopped trying to get me to join the Axis Cult! That's when she told me that you two were getting marriage! She told me if I gave her all the information I had on you, then I wouldn't owe her or the church anything for healing me. As a man who always repays his debts, I had no choice! So I… told her… you're address…"

"YOU IDIOT!"

Naruto let go of Dust, causing the guy to fall to the floor, and jumped off the roof and back into the alleyway and make his way back to his apartment to fortify it.

…Or at least that was his plan, but he came face to face with Kazuma who was flying upward.

"AHHH!" x2

 **Bonk!**

Their foreheads collided, making a loud thud before they both fell to the ground.

"I-I'll beak your fall!"

With an ecstatic smile on her face, Darkness eagerly moved under the two boys and spread her arms wide to soften their landing.

 **Crash!**

Hearing the sound of bodies crashing into each other Dust looked over the edge to see Naruto and Kazuma laying on top of Darkness, both of which with the whites of their eyes showing.

"Nngh~! T-two sweaty uncultured men are laying on top of me in a secluded ally! H-how… how humiliating…!"

Darkness said with heavy breaths as she squirmed underneath the two boys. Naruto had landed on her stomach, while Kazuma landed on her legs.

'That girl...'

Dust thought when he noticed Aqua and Megumin staring up at him.

"Oh, it's the crazy priestess with a god complex and the Explosion girl with a screw loose. Would you mind cleaning that mess up?"

"!?" x2

Instantly taking offense to the blonde delinquent's greeting, the two girls fumed.

"How dare you say I have a god complex! I am a goddess! A real one!"

"Why don't you come down here and say that!? I'll show you the greatness of my magic!"

Dust rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. It seemed those three hadn't changed at all. Well, at least he didn't have to worry about them anymore. Those three troublesome girls were Kazuma's problem.

Speaking of Kazuma, him and Naruto were completely unconscious.

"What are you guys doing here, and how did Kazuma get up here? Ah, could it be that you guys want me back in your party? Sorry, but no can do. You all might be beauties, but I'm no Kazuma. I can't handle the three of you at the same time."

Dust said with a short nod. He was touched that they would go to the trouble of looking for him, but Naruto was back, and he wasn't batshit crazy.

"Huh? What nonsense is this man spouting? Why would we want you to rejoin our party? You called it quits after a minor accident with a Rookie Killer. I already healed you, yet you stilled scrambled to a rotten Eris Church. If that's all it takes for you to give up, then you aren't worthy of being in my party."

Aqua said with her hands on her hips, and Megumin nodded in agreement.

Dust's eyebrow twitched. He really wanted to teach those two bratty girls what happened when you messed with great adventurers, but he decided to let it slide for the sake of time. He was a mature adult with more important matters to attend to.

"Whatever. What about Kazuma?"

"Ah, that hiki-NEET wanted to get thrown up there by Darkness. So, being the great me, I enhanced Darkness's strength stat with my skills and she threw him right into Naruto. Puhihihi…! Colliding right into each other like that… What would these two hopeless men do without me?"

Aqua said and walked over to the pile of human bodies before casting Heal on them.

Naruto was the first to open his eyes and the first thing he saw was Darkness's flushed face... Or at least that what he would have seen if it weren't for the two large bulges in blocking his view.

"S-s-s-sorry!"

Naruto stammered and sat straight up, his ears beet red from embarrassment.

"d-don't be! It's my role as a crusader to protect her allies, so it was my pleasure… You're not hurt, are you?"

Darkness said and sat up, shuffling the sill unconscious Kazuma onto her lap.

"Yeah, thanks catching me… I guess?"

Naruto said and scratched his cheek awkwardly. Darkness really was a nice person. Not only was she able to handle Kazuma's rough personality, but she was kind enough to put herself into harm's way when other people were in danger. He heard from Luna about how Darkness had drawn the attention of the Dullahan most of the fight

'Oh yeah, where's Dust?'

Naruto thought and looked up to see Dust looking down at him with a pitiful look on his face.

"Wh-what's that look for!?"

"No… I was just thinking Boss was an amazing person."

"Don't say that to someone while looking at them like that!"

Dust adverted his gaze. He knew Naruto was dense from his interactions with Aqua, but this was ridiculous.

Naruto grit his teeth together in annoyance when he realized he was wasting time.

"Hey hey, don't you have something to say to me? Because of me, you don't have to worry about getting annoying bruises-"

Aqua started saying while poking Naruto in the back, but the whiskered teen suddenly bolted up and took off into the alleyway.

"Shoot! I don't have time for this right now! Dust, go to the adventurer's guild and buy yourself a drink! It'll be my treat, so just wait there for me!"

Naruto called out to Dust, who responded with a mock solute.

"Ah! What about me!?"

Aqua whined with puffy cheeks before she turned the opposite direction and stamped her foot in frustration.

"Why is Naruto ignoring me!? Oh, that's right! I still have to get back at that man for what he did to my reputation! It's time for some divine retribution!"

Darkness watched as the lively priestess took off running and disappeared into the crowd.

"Why do I get the feeling we should have stopped her?"

"I don't think we have anything to worry about. Knowing Aqua, she'll probably try and prank Naruto since he's done it to her so many times in the past."

Megumin said while poking Kazuma in the face with her staff.

"I just realized something. Boss Naruto doesn't know about Darkness's true nature, does he? I could see it in his face earlier, he probably still thinks she's a model knight when in reality she's a complete weirdo."

Dust said, and that was putting it lightly. Darkness was a complete masochist, but he didn't want to risk angering her.

Even though he was standing on a rooftop, Darkness was still in possession of a weapon in the form of Kazuma. If he pushed her too far, that gorilla would probably chuck his drinking buddy at him full force.

"I-I'm not-"

"Yes you are." X2

Dust and Megumin both said at the same time when Darkness tried to deny it, causing the female knight to lower her head in embarrassment.

"Well in any case, I'm gonna drink some booze. See ya!"

Dust said and made his way to the ladder that was conveniently placed on the other side of the side of the rooftop.

'Heh… I didn't think Boss was that dense. Guess I have no choice but to help him out.'

* * *

Making his way to the inn, Naruto stopped and poked his head outside of the alleyway he was hiding in. Not seeing any blonde Axis Cultists, he quickly moved inside the building.

"Oh, well if it isn't the young man himself. Welcome back!"

Naruto almost jumped out of his skin, but he quickly calmed himself when he saw that it was only the inn's manager. The older man wasn't normally this friendly, not because he was a mean person, he was just a stern person. But he seemed to be in a good mood today.

"Ah, yeah… I'm back."

Naruto said with a short waved as he walked past the front counter and towards the stairs that led to the inn's rooms.

"Enjoy yourself."

The man said with a wink, and a grave feeling grew in the pit of Naruto's stomach.

Naruto gulped. He was just in the building not too long ago, but he couldn't help but feel anxious as he walked up the stairs.

Walking up to his room, Naruto placed a hand on the doorknob and gulped. He twisted the knob to find that it was locked, and it was like a ten-ton weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

'I'm safe…'

Naruto thought and wiped the sweat from his forehead before fishing the key to his apartment out of his pocket and slipped it into the lock.

The door was locked, and there weren't any signs of someone trying to break in. Naruto's room was also on the second floor, and as far as he knew, there weren't skills in this world that allowed people to walk on walls like a ninja. Besides, it was broad daylight. Who would try and break into an apartment in the middle of the day?

Just as Naruto opened the door and walked in, he was greeted with a sight that made him freeze in place.

Not three feet away from the door was a woman dressed in a blue nun's attire. She was kneeling on the floor seiza-style, with her head resting on her hands on the floor.

"Welcome home, dear. Would you like to eat dinner, take a bath, or…?"

Cecily looked up with a tempting smile on her lips.

"Would you like me?"

Naruto broke into a cold sweat as his heart rate went through the roof. This was a scene straight out of the porn that his teacher wrote, only she wasn't only wearing an apron.

"…How did you get in here? The door was locked."

"Oh, I simply told the kind gentleman downstairs about our passionate night in Alcanretia and he gave me a key… But was this greeting not to your liking? I once read in a romance novel that this is what married men like. Ah, I'm missing the naked apron, aren't I? Wait outside for a second, I'll go get it."

"There was no "passionate night" you crazy priest! Also, please don't!"

Naruto shouted when the girl stood up and turned towards his kitchen.

'That's why the manager was acting like that… Damn it Dust! Why did you tell her where I live?'

"Well then, you must be hungry! I'll go cook us up some Tokoroten Slime!"

Cecily chirped and walked into the kitchen.

Naruto sighed as he took off his sandals and jacket. He wasn't going to let his guard down, he just needed to bide his time and maybe try and convince this crazy girl to leave him alone.

But how in the world was he going to do that?

* * *

 **Adventurer's Guild…**

Yunyun sighed as she placed the last card onto the house she was remaking. It sounded like Naruto was having trouble, so she didn't want to get in his way. But she was more than willing help if he only asked… They were party members after all!

"Hey, what do you mean I can't order a drink!? My party member said to put it on their tab! I'm not lying, they said I could do it!"

Good grief, the adventurers were quite rowdy. Especially that blonde delinquent that had recently showed up. Not only did he get into an argument with some other adventurers when he walked in, but now he was demanding alcohol and putting it on someone else's tab.

'What a despicable fellow… I hope the party member Naruto-San is looking for isn't like that.'

Yunyun said with a frown before going back to her house of cards. There was nothing to worry about though, because Naruto was good person after all. How could someone who was nice enough to invite her into his party attract someone as distasteful as that delinquent?

Exactly, it wasn't possible.

But she wished Naruto would hurry back. It was kind of lonely sitting there by herself.

* * *

 **A/N: Back again with a quick update! ;)**


	26. A Completion to this Shinobi's Party

"-and so I punished the evil Eris Cult by kicking rocks into their church's windows! Ah… That was a good day… At least until I was unjustly arrested for some reason."

"Of course you were arrested! Why would you do that!? All they did was tell the truth about you crazy Axis Cultists!"

Naruto and Cecily were sitting at the table in his kitchen. She had made a batch of what she called "Tokoroten Slime", which was jelly-like candy. But if Naruto remembered correctly, the stuff was illegal in this country so he wanted nothing to do with it.

If the police asked, an Axis Cultist broke into his apartment and made a batch without his permission.

"Oh, they were obviously telling lies. We Axis Cultist never do anything wrong. If our desire to recruit is not acceptable, then it's clearly society that's at fault. If anything, I was applying divine justice bless by Lady Aqua herself!"

Cecily said while waving her hand dismissively.

'That makes absolutely no sense… But why do I see Aqua saying the same exact thing?'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop. But enough of this nonsense, it was time to get serious. He wanted nothing to do with this troublesome priestess. The sooner he found out what she truly wanted, the sooner he could figure out a way to get rid of her.

"Why did you really come here? I highly doubt you really want to marry me. I mean, we only just met."

"Oh, you… Don't you believe in love at first sight?"

Cecily asked while fluttering her eyelashes, but Naruto wasn't having any of it and simply crossed his arms.

"Sheesh, what a serious man. You won't get a girlfriend with that kind of attitude."

"Th-that's none of your business! Now tell me what you want!"

Naruto fumed at the mentioning of the recently developing touchy subject.

Cecily snickered at his reaction, which caused the male's face to turn even redder in frustration.

"Alright, you got me. It seems I have to reveal my true mission. The truth is…"

…

Naruto's eyes were bulging out of their sockets when Cecily finished telling her story.

"You owe that restaurant four-million Eris!?"

"Yes, it is quite unfortunate. They agreed to let me use the restaurant when I told them I would be using it to recruit a handsome, and rich, young man into the Axis Cult."

Cecily explained, and Naruto slammed his hands on the table.

"So you admit it was all just a scam!"

"Obviously I couldn't pay the fee, as I was hoping my husband-to-be would pay for his beautiful wife's debts..."

Cecily trailed off with a wink, but Naruto simply adverted his gaze.

"But when I failed to convert you to the Axis Cult, that left the owner in quite a foul mood. He said something about messing with his profits for no results. So I escaped Alcanretia, my home, to the town of beginners with an unreasonable debt. The Axis Cult church here is quite underhanded, you see. I figured if I were to bring a raise to our number of worshipers in this town, then I could be pardoned of my debts!"

"I don't think it'll work out that way. Actually, aren't you just running away from your problems? You should stop wasting your time and start working."

Naruto retorted when the girl proudly explained her plans, but Cecily remained unfazed. In fact, her smile only grew.

"That's what I plan on doing, as that falls onto my second plan! As my future husband-"

"Not gonna happen."

"-I did some extensive research on you! One of my sources, that preferred to remain anonymous, claimed that you are in search of party members! Specifically, a beautiful priestess."

Cecily said and leaned over the table to get closer to the whiskered teen's face.

"You need members for your party, and I need money to pay for my unreasonable debts. Sounds like a fair deal, right?"

Naruto grimaced as he leaned back to keep their faces from touching. This woman truly didn't know the meaning of personal space.

Dust… That man really told her everything he knew.

'To think that guy is drinking off my tab right now… But as much as I hate to admit it, she has a point…'

' **Oi, Naruto… Don't tell me you're actually thinking about allowing this psychotic priestess into your team? This woman gives off a similar vibe to that bratty goddess.'**

'I know Kurama… But I've been starting to think that the only people who would want to go on the kind of quests we want to do are crazy people… Unless you want to wait another couple months to get into some action?'

'… **That's true. I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into.'**

With the conclusion to the short conversation with his inner demon, Naruto made up his mind.

"…Fine. You can join my party."

Naruto finally said, and Cecily jumped over the table and tackled him into a bone crushing hug. They both fell onto the floor with a thud.

"Thank you very much! As the beautiful priestess of the Axis Cult, I won't let you down!"

"Ouch! Hey, get off me! I wasn't finished!"

Naruto said with a flushed face when the girl started rubbing her cheek on his whisker marks. After successfully prying his fellow blonde away from his face, Naruto kept his hands firmly on her shoulders.

"Listen, I said you can join my party, but you can't try and force our other two members to join the Axis Cult. Also, don't walk around calling me your fiancé. It'll cause misunderstandings…"

"Hehe… Naruto is so cute when he acts shy… As expected of my future caretaker."

Cecily cooed and poked the shinobi on the cheek, only to have her hand lightly swatted away.

"You didn't even bother saying husband that time!"

Getting to his feet and picking up the fallen chair, Naruto sighed. This woman was supposed to be a priestess, right? Then why did he feel like he just made a pact with a devil?

He was already beginning to regret his decision. But on the brighter side of things, he had a full party! Now all he had to do was introduce them all to each other.

'I wonder what the others are going to think of this gold-digging priestess? Dust will be fine as long as Cecily doesn't try and convert him to the Axis Cult, and Yunyun will probably…'

Naruto stopped mid-thought and blinked.

…Yunyun?

Cecily walked over to Naruto's bed and plopped a piece of Tokoroten Slime into her mouth before taking a seat.

"So, darling~? Would it be alright if I stayed here for a couple days? At least until I pay off my debts-"

"OH NO! I forgot about Yunyun again!"

* * *

 **Adventurer's Guild…**

"Hey little miss, would you like me to join you? Playing a game by yourself is lonely, isn't it?"

Yunyun looked up from her board game to see a kind looking Oni-San smiling at her.

"N-no… I'm actually waiting for f-friend."

Yunyun said, but even after giving her reason for playing alone, the Oni-San took the empty seat on the other side of the table.

"Is that so? I've seen you sitting here for a couple hours, so… If you want, I can play with you till they show up?"

"Of course they're coming! Naruto-San promised he'd introduce me to our other party members, so-"

"Geh…! Did you say Naruto? S-s-sorry to bother you then!"

"Ah…"

Yunyun watched as the Oni-San took off in hurry. That was the third person that offered to play with her, but they would run away as soon as she mentioned she was waiting for someone.

'Could it be… The adventurers are afraid of Naruto-San?'

As Yunyun was lost in her thoughts, three people entered the adventurer's guild.

"That girl… She's the reason we have no money, and when I finally say it's time to work she disappears! When I get my hands on her…"

"Well if Kazuma didn't sleep on Darkness's lap for so long with a lecherous face, you could have stopped Aqua from leaving."

Yunyun's eyes widened when she heard the second voice.

'This voice is…!'

The shy mage turned to see who the owner of the voice was, but a guy with blonde hair and red eyes walked front of her view. She was quick to realize that it was the same man that had caused a scene earlier regarding someone else's tab.

"Hey there, girly… Whatcha doin here all by yourself?"

The clearly drunken male asked, and Yunyun had to plug her nose because of how strongly he reeked of alcohol.

'It's that despicable man from earlier… I-I feel sorry for using Naruto-San's name like this, but I don't want to deal with this man right now.'

Yunyun thought before putting her board pieces back into their container.

"I'm waiting for Naruto-San to return so he can introduce me to our other party member."

There, now that person would run away just like all the others-

"Eh!? No way! Naruto should have told me he found another member, and a cute one at that!"

'…Huh?'

Yunyun blinked when the man took the empty seat that the previous people ran away from.

"The name's Dust. I'm a very famous adventurer around these parts, so you won't have to worry about a thing with me around! Isn't that great?"

Dust said with a smug grin.

Lies. This man was obviously just some delinquent using Naruto's name to get close to her. As inexperienced as Yunyun was when it came to interacting with other people, even she knew trouble when they sat right in front of her.

"I'm afraid you must be mistaken. Naruto-San isn't the type to invite drunkards to his party. He's aiming to defeat the Demon King after all."

"Hey now, don't be like that. I'm fully aware of the Boss's ambitions, even more so than others since I'm his righthand man. I'm in charge of gathering intel such as the latest rumors and gossip about the Boss."

…Boss?

Yunyun wanted to ask why this man was calling Naruto "Boss", but she was even more curious about the supposed rumors floating around her first party member's name. Maybe she could find out why the previous adventurers that showed up ran away like they did from just hearing Naruto's name.

"What kind of rumors?"

Dust smirked. He felt bad about stealing one of Naruto's catches, but this girl was just his type. Slightly childish looking while giving off a mature vibe, and a voluptuous figure to balance it out. Now he just had to make Naruto sound bad by telling her all the rumors, and she'd be putty in his hands.

"There's a lot stuff going around about the Boss. A lot of the rumors are false, but most of them are true."

"I-is that so…?"

Yunyun said with a bitter smile. She wished he'd just get to the point already. Also, did he just move a seat closer to her?

"You might be surprised by this, but the Boss is actually involved with multiple woman."

Dust said in a low voice while making sure other people weren't listening in on their conversation.

"E-eh!? Naruto-San is!?"

Yunyun said with wide eyes.

"Shh…! Keep your voice down! This is delicate information that the Boss doesn't want other people to hear!"

Dust hissed with a finger over his lips, and Yunyun quickly covered her mouth.

"But yeah, it's true. Boss is always flirting with the guild's busty receptionist Luna, and he's been seen walking to and from a magic item shop whose owner is a beautiful Onee-San every day and sometimes multiple times a day."

"N-Naruto-San did seem to be quite familiar with that receptionist earlier, and I remember him mentioning something about a magic shop…"

Yunyun muttered to herself, but she shook her head. All of this seemed fishy to her, and it was always best not to jump to conclusions without concrete evidence.

"Boss is also pretty chummy with two of the female members in the party of a buddy of mine, and I think Boss has recently set his eyes on the third female member… Even though it's a bad idea."

Dust said while rubbing his chin in thought. Darkness may have one of the best figures he had ever seen, but that personality just didn't fit. He wasn't about to let Naruto fall onto that landmine… Unless he was into that sort of thing?

It seemed Dust had quite the conversation to have with Naruto later.

"…"

Yunyun fell silent. If Dust was telling the truth, then the only reason Naruto asked her to join his party was because he was targeting her.

But it still didn't add up. In the days that they had traveled together, not once did Naruto make any obvious advances towards her. Perhaps she was too young for his tastes?

For some reason, that thought made Yunyun feel a little lonely.

Dust grinned when he saw the somber look on the younger girl's face. She was right where he wanted her… Now all he had to do was give the final push.

But just before Dust could say a single word, the guild doors burst open.

"Yunyun! Are you still here!?"

"Naruto-San?"

Hearing the shinobi's voice, Yunyun instantly perked up. But she her jaw hung loose when she turned to see Naruto carrying a blonde woman dressed in a nun's attire bridal-style.

"…Eh?"

Was all Yunyun could say as her mind raced to think of a reason as to why Naruto was carrying a woman in such a fashion.

The entire guild had been silenced, but Dust was the first person to speak their collective thoughts.

"Um… Boss? Why are you carrying the crazy priestess? Wait, don't tell me…"

"That's right! I'm Naruto's bride-to-be!"

Cecily instantly declared and squeezed her arms that were currently wrapped around the ninja's neck, which caused an uproar of murmurs to spread throughout the guild like wildfire.

"Wrong! I told you not to say stuff like that you idiot! It'll cause a misunderstanding!"

Naruto barked and tried to put her down, but she wrapped her legs around his waist and refused to let go.

"After you so boldly carried me here bridal style? Just how unreasonable can you be?"

As the two struggled against one another, the murmuring inside the guild grew even more intense.

"Hey, did you hear that?"

"Naruto's getting married to that pretty girl? Damn I'm jealous!"

"Wait, I recognize that nun… She's an Axis Cultist."

"Ah, never mind then."

"Now that you mention it, he does seem a little unwilling. She's probably trying to get him to join the Axis Cult by forcing him into marriage."

"Those cultists will do anything to get more members."

"Poor bastard."

Naruto couldn't help but sweatdrop when he heard the murmurs of the adventurers and how quickly their opinions on the situation shifted. It seemed he didn't have anything to worry about since Cecily was an Axis Cultist, and anything she said would automatically be rendered as nonsense in the public eye.

He almost felt sorry for the Axis Cultists… Almost.

"W-what…? Cecily-San!?"

Yunyun sputtered when she recognized the woman in Naruto's arms.

That was unmistakably Cecily, and did she just mention marriage!? But marriage usually meant retirement for adventurers! Was her party disbanding after she only just joined!?

"Oh? Is that Yunyun? Then that must mean…"

Cecily scanned the room until she found the other Crimson Magic Clansman, who was also staring at her in surprise.

"Ah! Megumin!"

Jumping out of Naruto's arms, Cecily ran over to Megumin and pulled the little girl's face into her chest.

"It's been so long, Megumin! You're just as cute as I remember you!"

"H-huh? What are you doing here, Cecily? Yunyun too?"

"Please call me Cecily-Nee!"

* * *

After a couple minutes, Cecily finally calmed down and released Megumin. There was a lot of questions that need to be asked/answered, so Naruto and Kazuma brought their parties together and went to one of the larger tables in the back of the guild.

Naruto, Dust, Yunyun, and Cecily sat on one side of the table, while Kazuma, Darkness, and Megumin sat on the other side. The only person missing was Aqua, whose whereabouts were still unknown.

"To think Yunyun and Cecily were Naruto's newest members…"

Megumin said while eyeing the two girls on Naruto's side of the table. She and Yunyun were rivals who traveled to Alcanretia after graduating from their school at the Home of the Crimson Magic, and they met Cecily when they passed through Alcanretia to get to Axel Town.

Yunyun adverted her gaze nervously. Partially because Megumin was there, but also because of what she had just learned from Dust. Dust's drinking buddy turned out to be Kazuma, so the girl's that Naruto was "chummy" with must be Megumin and Darkness.

Kazuma looked at Yunyun and Cecily, then back at Naruto.

'Gah! They're both cute! I'm so jealous! Ah, but wait! So are the girls in my party… Looks like I have to test them first.'

With that thought, Kazuma turned towards Yunyun.

"Yunyun, was it? Why did you join Naruto's party?"

"U-um… I met Naruto-San at the Home of the Crimson Magic, and he said he was looking for a mage to join his party…"

Yunyun stuttered nervously, and she could feel Megumin's suspicious gaze on her from across the table.

'Ah, the shy mage archetype… How nice… Too bad she's the same age as Megumin, they're both just a year under my strike-zone.'

Kazuma thought with a short nod before turning to the second girl on the other side of the table.

"I see I see… Cecily-San, was it? You're a Priest from the Axis Cult, right? Why did you join Naruto's party?"

"Money!"

Cecily instantly replied with dollar signs in her eyes, and Kazuma gained a deadpanned expression.

'Nope, that girl's a lost cause. I can already tell that she's just like Aqua. I wonder if all the Axis Cultists are like that…'

"Why is Kazuma acting like an interrogator? I can't help but feel you have an ulterior motive. Also, Yunyun. You didn't get sweet talked by this man, did you? Naruto may seem like a nice guy on the outside, but underneath he's a man who lies to cute girls and doesn't keep his promises!"

Megumin said, causing Yunyun to squirm in her chair.

'Who's acting like an interrogator?'

Kazuma thought with a sweatdrop but kept it to himself to avoid angering the short-fused mage of his party.

"Wait a second! I always keep my promises, and I've never lied to any of you!"

Naruto yelled in his defense. Because keeping his promises was nindo damn it!

Hoping that he would say that, Megumin's eyes flashed.

"Oh? Then why haven't we had our competition yet? Did you not promise to face me in a battle of Explosions if I defeated a high bounty target first?"

"W-well…"

Naruto adverted his gaze. It was true that he agreed to that bet, and he wasn't actually that tired when he returned from his trip…

"You also kept poor Yunyun waiting for such a long time, Boss. How long did you wait, Yunyun-Chan?"

Dust said, and an imaginary arrow struck Naruto in the back.

"J-just a few hours… B-but I wasn't lonely or anything! I kept myself busy with some games!"

Yunyun stuttered, and a second imaginary arrow lodged itself into Naruto's back.

"Ah, and some nice people also came over to say hello! Although they ran away when they learned I was waiting for Naruto-San…"

Yunyun quickly added when she saw the pained look on Naruto's face, but it only served to worsen the shinobi's guilt and he fell to the floor from the weight it brought.

"I-I'm sorry for making you wait so long, Yunyun…"

Naruto muttered as he picked himself off the ground and back into his seat. In the name of his nindo, he would make it up to the girl!

"N-no, it's okay! I'm used to playing games by myself! But Megumin! I can't ignore those awful things you said about Naruto-San!"

Yunyun said, launching another guild arrow into Naruto's back that successfully knocked him onto the ground.

"Oh? What, do you want to fight? I always knew Yunyun would fall prey to someone who said nice things to her! To think it would be my second self-proclaimed rival you fell prey to."

Megumin declared and stood up, her eyes shining a brilliant crimson. Yunyun responded by standing up as well, and the two stared at each other.

"…Hang on. Megumin just said something I can't ignore."

Naruto said, recovering from his previous guilt trips.

"What do you mean by "self-proclaimed rival"?"

"Yunyun is always challenging me, despite knowing that I'm the top Crimson Magic Clansman. But she hasn't defeated me a single time. Naruto even declared that we were rivals to defeat the Demon King, yet he won't even keep his promise despite being the one to issue the challenge. Sheesh… What am I to do with all these hopeless, self-proclaimed rivals of mine?"

Megumin said while shaking her head and shrugging.

A vein bulged on Naruto and Yunyun's foreheads.

"N-now now! Let's not start a fight inside the guild!"

Darkness said and stood up when she saw the obvious anger in both of their eyes.

Naruto and Yunyun sent each other a knowing look.

Kazuma sighed as the two parties calmed down and began to converse normally. He hadn't even gone on a quest yet today and he already wanted to go home and sleep.

First, he went to Wiz's store to find out that Naruto had returned and ruined his hard work in fixing the shopkeeper, he failed to show off his achievements. Then there was that whole fiasco with finding Dust.

In the end, they were back at the adventurer's guild and meeting Naruto's newly formed party.

But the day still wasn't over. He had to find Aqua so they could finally start on working off the debt their party had collected because of her. As much as he wanted to just leave the debt on her, it would affect his already crippled reputation too much if he just abandoned his party member.

'Where is that goddess of poverty anyway?'

Kazuma thought, and as if to answer his question, the guild doors swung open loudly for a third time that day.

"Naruto! Is Naruto here!? Come out and face me!"

Aqua's loud and screechy voice echoed throughout the guild hall.

'We're not going on a quest anytime soon, are we? Ah… I wanna go back home to Japan…'

Kazuma thought and laid his head on the table.

* * *

 **A/N: And so, Naruto's party is officially formed! Let me know what you guys think of this Wonderful group of weirdos!**


	27. A Friendly Wager Between Airheads

"Naruto! Come out and face the hand of god!"

Aqua shouted as she searched the rowdy guild hall for her target. But even as loud as she was, none of the guild members paid any attention.

Everyone in the guild seemed to have gotten used to Aqua's noisiness.

"Hey, Kazuma. Since Aqua's back, Darkness and I are going to go pick us out a good quest!"

Megumin said and when Kazuma gave her a lazy thunbs up, she and Darkness went to the bulletin board. It's not like they would be missing anything anyway. It was just going to be another one of Aqua and Naruto's arguments about him treating her.

"Aqua-Sama? Oh, could it be that Aqua-Sama is in Kazuma-San's party?"

Cecily deducted, drawing the goddess's attention to the group of seven.

"Aqua-Sama…? Wait… You don't actually believe Aqua's a goddess, do you?"

Naruto asked when he remembered Cecily was in fact a devote Axis Cult member, and Aqua claimed to be the very goddess of water that they worshipped.

"Aqua-Sama is simply Aqua-Sama."

Cecily simply responded with a gentle smile befitting that of a nun.

"R-right…"

He couldn't tell if the girl was serious, or if she was simply playing along with Aqua's antics.

"Hm? What is one of my precious children doing here? Ah! There you are! How dare you ignore a goddess!"

Aqua asked while tilting her head, momentarily distracted. That is until her eyes fell on Naruto, which caused her rage flare up again.

"What's this? A lover's quarrel, Boss?"

Dust asked slyly, and Yunyun gasped.

'L-lovers!?'

Yunyun thought with eyes big as saucers as she watched Aqua rush over to their table. Was this another one of Naruto's supposed targets? It would only make sense, as Yunyun felt that any man would chase after a girl with such unnatural beauty.

But what did she mean by 'goddess'? Was this the girl that Naruto had mentioned during their trip? The one that had a troublesome personality and had a god complex?

"Shut up Dus-Whoa!"

Naruto began to say, but he was forced to lean back in his chair when Aqua finally made it to their table and all but shoved her face into his.

"Apologize! Apologize for ignoring me all day, and not thanking me when I so graciously healed you earlier! Do that, and I may just forgive you! Oh, and you have to treat me too now that your back!"

'Too close! What is with these Axis Cultists and sticking their faces so close!?'

Naruto grabbed the girl's shoulders and extended his arms to get her away from his face.

"Y-you're right… I'm sorry for not thanking you for healing me earlier. Thanks for that. But why the hell do I have to treat you!? I'm sick and tired of treating people! I'm going broke, damn it!"

The only things Naruto had spent money on since coming to this world was his room, ingredients for his ramen, and his adventuring equipment. The last thing, which took up more than all those other things combined, was treating people to alcohol and snacks!

It's time to stop!

"Eh? Naruto isn't rich? Oh my, suddenly you don't quite look as handsome as before."

Cecily said while tapping her cheek and frowning.

Naruto's jaw dropped. That was all it took to turn her off!?

"I was worried for a second that you might have seduced one of my precious children, but it seems you ruined your own plan because you're so bad with women. If that weren't the case, you also wouldn't have to treat us so many times to apologize either."

Aqua said while snickering.

"I-I may not be good with women, but that doesn't mean I should have to treat you in apology!"

Naruto muttered, his ears burning red. This girl sure knew how to get underneath your skin. He thought he had gotten use to Aqua's more than difficult personality, but boy was he wrong.

"A man treating a girl is only common sense. Puhihihi! It's no wonder you don't have a girlfriend!"

Aqua said and laughed in a taunting manner, and Naruto's head hung low in a depressed state.

"Oi, Aqua. I think you went a little too far…"

Kazuma said after the shinobi fell silent. He see Naruto as the type to be affected by such a comment, since the ninja never really seem interested in girls despite being surrounded by them. But he had never seen the guy so gloomy before.

"H-hmph! I guess I can let you off the hook this time… I hope you understand how sensitive girls are now!"

Aqua said after a slight hesitation, because even she hadn't been expecting Naruto to react this way. The rowdy ninja usually shot right back up after everything that was thrown at him, so this reaction was new to her.

'Wow… That Aqua sure knows how to hit a man where it hurts… I wonder how the Boss is going to respond to this.'

Dust thought while eyeing his party leader in anticipation.

Yunyun frowned at seeing Naruto's reaction. She wanted to say something, but what if she only made it worse? Everything she said earlier seemed to backfire after all.

'But does Naruto-San really not have a lover? But Dust-San said… No, he only said Naruto-San was involved with multiple girls. That doesn't necessarily mean he crossed the line with them…'

Despite feeling sorry for Naruto's current state, Yunyun couldn't help but feel relieved. That meant Naruto's sincerity was true, and he wasn't just some deviant trying to get close to pretty girls.

'That stupid loudmouthed… What does Aqua know!?'

Naruto thought and gripped his fists.

So what if he didn't have a girlfriend? That didn't bother him at all! He just wasn't interested in that kind of thing yet! Besides, he had more important things to worry about-

 _Enjoy yourself._

Naruto's eyes widened when Jiraiya's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

That's right. He was given a second chance to enjoy his life to the fullest, so why was he still stressing so much over doing hard quests as soon as possible?

Sure, going on challenging quests would satisfy his thirst for a challenge. But those kinds of quest would come eventually. In the meantime, he should be doing the things he hadn't had the chance to do back in Konoha.

But first he had to prove this bratty goddess wrong!

Naruto shot up from his depressed state, shocking the others. With a confident grin on his face, he pointed at the surprised Aqua.

"I can get a girlfriend, and I'm gonna prove it so just you wait! By the end of the week, Naruto Uzumaki will no longer be single! I promise that I'll prove you wrong, and I don't go back on my promises! Because that's my nindo, my ninja way!"

"!"

Aqua took a baffled step backwards. As she expected, the shinobi bounced back up. But what was this talk about getting a girlfriend all of a sudden!? Where was this coming from!?

Kurama, who had been listening to the entire conversation. The demon never thought the day that Naruto would declare his nindo for such a trivial matter. This new world might have changed the brat a lot more than the fox had anticipated, and he was looking forward to seeing if it was a good change or bad. Either way, the demon fox would enjoy himself.

'Wawawawa…!?'

Yunyun's eyes were spinning as she tried to comprehend what Naruto had just declared so boldly in front of everyone.

"H-hah? Don't make me laugh! What kind of girl would fall for a loudmouthed brat like you!?"

Aqua shouted, oblivious to the deadpanned expressions pointed at her throughout the guild.

Naruto chuckled. He knew Aqua wouldn't believe he could do it. But that was just what he was hoping for.

"Alright then, let's make a bet. If I can't get a girlfriend by the end of the week, I'll treat you to a drink whenever you want."

"Oi, Naruto… I don't think you should-"

Kazuma began to say, but he stopped when Naruto put a hand up.

"But if I win, then you have to take on Cecily's debt to the restaurant in her place. She is one of your 'precious children', isn't she?"

Naruto finished and raised his fist.

Aqua's eyes widened.

"OI! What nonsense are you spouting!? I can't believe I just tried to help you!"

Kazuma barked and slammed his hands on the table. If Naruto won and Aqua gained whatever debts Cecily had, then it would indirectly fall onto him! Just what was that blasted fake-ninja thinking!?

"I accept!"

Aqua declared and bumped Naruto's fist to seal the deal, causing Kazuma to face fault.

"At least think about it first!"

Kazuma pleaded, but it was no use. Aqua wasn't listening to a word he was saying. She had a stupid smirk on her face that was full of confidence. Where in the world did that confidence even come from? Did she not realize the significance of this bet? If she lost, then they would fall to even more debt!

Debt that she herself had caused!

"I expected nothing less, Boss."

Dust said while nodding sagely. Taking risks when it came to women was a man's romance. As expected of the man he vowed to follow to understand this. Now he just needed to support Naruto's decision with his priceless advice on girls. He would surely be rewarded for his help, right?

A thought suddenly occurred to Dust, and he looked past the stiff Yunyun towards Cecily.

"Hey, aren't you going to say something like: "Naruto already won, since he has me!" or something like that?"

"Of course not. This is a competition between Naruto and Aqua-Sama. I have no right to butt in. Besides, my goal is to marry a rich and handsome young man so I can live the remainder of my days in leisure."

Cecily said before resting her head over her arms on the table, the conversation was starting to become rather boring to her.

"Not even trying to hide it, are we?"

Dust really didn't want anything to do with Axis Cultists. But Naruto already made the decision, so he was just going to have to deal with it. Well, not that he could blame her for wanting to live an easy life.

"Now then… Dust! Yunyun! Cecily! Let's go on a quest as a real party!"

Naruto declared and ran over to the request board to look for something decent.

"You got it Boss! Ah, but Cecily fell asleep. What should we do with her?"

Dust said and threw a thumb over his shoulder at Cecily, who was resting her head on the table and snoring softly.

"…We'll get her after we pick a quest."

Naruto said with a deadpanned expression and slowed to a walk, his enthusiasm now gone. He knew he was going to regret letting that priestess join his party, but it was too late to complain now.

Besides, he already vowed to change Dust for the better. Why not change the crazy priestess while he was at it?

"Oh, you're back Megumin. We'll have our Explosion competition tomorrow like I promised, so prepare yourself."

Naruto said as he passed Megumin and Darkness, who had just picked out a quest form and were walking back to the table.

"Fufufu… Very well. Looks like I have no choice but to show you the true power of Explosion magic!"

Megumin said while covering her patched eye and flipped her cape for added effect.

"Hm? The argument's already over? Did we miss anything?"

Darkness asked their party leader, who was currently sobbing into his hands.

"Nothing… You missed absolutely nothing…"

Kazuma mumbled before he glared at Aqua, who was watching Naruto with a triumphant look on her face. That girl didn't have a guilty bone in her body, did she?

Yunyun, who had been petrified by the sudden turn of events, regained the light in her eyes.

"A-ah! Wait for me Naruto-San! Megumin! Next time we'll have our showdown too!"

The shy mage declared before she quickly moved to follow her party members.

Megumin chuckled to herself before turning to her own party.

"What a troublesome bunch… Hey, Kazuma. Let's hurry up and go on a quest already. I need to make sure my Explosion magic is in peak condition for tomorrow's match. Darkness and I chose a really good one!"

"That's right! If we keep lazing around all day like a certain HikiNEET, then we'll be giving Naruto a chance to catch up to us!"

Aqua agreed and started pushing Kazuma to get him up.

"…Catch up? How could we keep Naruto from catching up when we already have a forty-million Eris debt that we have to pay off!? Not to mention you actually accepted that ludicrous bet! I'm doomed with debts for the rest of my life, and it's all your fault! I should just leave all the debt onto you, you stupid goddess of poverty!"

Kazuma shouted while he continued to mercilessly pinch Aqua's cheeks.

"O-oww! I'm sowwy! Don't abandon me Kazuma-San!"

"Don't worry Kazuma! That just means we have to do more challenging quests that pay more like this one! Ahn~! I'm really looking forward to this one…"

Darkness said while hugging the request to her form tightly.

"Here, let me see that…"

Kazuma said and let go of Aqua so he could snatch the paper from his blonde party member, and the goddess quickly hid behind Darkness for protection.

 _Pineapple Harvest-_

 _Due to lack of manpower, the pineapples this season have been causing trouble for the farmers. Any adventurers willing to help would be greatly appreciated. Female adventurers must be wary of the pineapple's acidic juices. One drop will burn through any apparel weaker than iron class armor and cause burn status effects._

"Rejected! Who would want to fight such a dangerous sounding fruit!? This is my only pair of adventuring clothes, and you don't have your armor yet Darkness!"

Kazuma said and slammed the request form on the table.

"That's exactly why we should take this quest! The farmers are short-handed on adventurers right now since everyone still has reward money leftovers from the battle with the Dullahan! Besides, you won't have to worry about getting your clothes ruined! Even without my armor, I'll be able to tank the hits! Ngh! Just thinking about getting hit by such wonderful sounding juices makes me shutter in anticipation…!"

Darkness said while hugging her form and squirming.

Kazuma was left speechless as he watched his pervert of a teammate. It was no use… This girl was completely hopeless.

"By the way, how much money does Cecily owe that restaurant anyway? It can't be that much…"

Kazuma decided to ask the priestess, who was still sleeping on the table.

"Munya…? Oh. Four-million Eris."

Cecily said with a drowsy expression before resting her head back on the table, and Aqua could be seen creeping away in the background.

"…AquaaaAAAAAA YOU IDIOT!"

Over at the request bulletin, Naruto looked back to see Kazuma chasing Aqua around the guild.

'Sorry Kazuma… But sacrifices needed to be made. I can't perfect my ramen with an empty wallet.'

Naruto thought before looking back at the board to continue his search. He'd make it up to the guy and help him with high paying quests if he needed help, but Aqua still needed to be taught a lesson.

Ah, that is if he managed to get a girlfriend and won the bet.

* * *

 **A/N: I think this is a good place to stop the chapter. Now then, next time is Naruto's party's first quest!**


	28. First Target Is-!

My name is Dust. I'm an adventurer who's quite famous in Axel. I pride myself in guiding newbie adventurers down the right path by telling them about all my heroic tales and achievements.

But that's not what I'm doing today. For you see, I recently met a certain man who inspired me. This man is also well known in Axel, and while not as famous as myself, his fame comes from something quite different. A type of popularity in which I desire.

So, I decided that I would try and learn from this man to gain what he has that I lacked. It seemed the goddess of luck, Eris, was on my side when I confronted the guy because he conveniently invited me to join his party. What luck!

I feel bad about leaving my party members behind, but I trust they understand that this is a path that I must take. Of course, if they're that desperate to have me back I might reconsider. Those guys really are hopeless without me after all.

Sorry, I'm getting side tracked. Back to my story.

After I joined that man's party, he left to go recruit a mage in a certain village. In the meantime, I swapped parties with a drinking buddy of mine who's in a party full of beauties. Boy was that a mistake.

An Arch Priest who won't shut up about how great she is but can't back her words with action, a mage who shows off their one-use spell right before the battle and collapses from mana exhaustion, and a perverted Crusader with a hopeless masochistic personality.

Yeah, I want nothing to do with those girls ever again. Best of luck, Kazuma.

After those troublesome days, I was later bullied by some punk with a magic sword because I flirted with his groupies. I got back at him by reselling his sword to him that I happened to find by complete chance, but he later found out that I cheated him and beat me up a second time. I'll have to ask the Boss to avenge me.

But my misfortunes didn't end there. After the battle with the Demon King Army General (which I showed up late to and didn't get any reward money for it), I woke up in an Axis Cult Church and was threatened by a psychotic priestess who was looking for the Boss. I was forced to give away all my information on that man to save my own purity, including his address. If I hadn't, I would have been forced to join a gang of lunatics. Don't tell me you wouldn't have done the same.

Honestly, these past couple days have been nothing but trouble. I don't know what I did to deserve this kind of torture. But I won't let it get me down.

Now, you must be asking yourself: "What is the great adventurer Dust-Sama doing now?".

Well-

* * *

"Wahhhhh! Save me! They're going to eat me!"

Dust yelled as he ran from two Rookie Killers for dear life, but they were quickly gaining on him due to his crippled speed in the snow.

They had just been hunting goblins, so why did he have to get attacked by a Rookie Killer!? Two at that!

It was no wonder such an easy quest was still on the board. Because it was now the start of winter, the stronger monsters were beginning to come out.

A shadowy figure loomed over Dust's head and landed in front of the two giant cats, lifting a bunch of snow into the air.

Naruto, with his eyes an unusual color and shape, stopped the Rookie Killers by catching one in each of his hands. Grasping their snouts with an iron grip, he spun a couple times to gain momentum before he hurled them into the air in the direction of the mage of his group.

"Yunyun!"

"R-right!"

Yunyun responded nervously when she noticed a slight flickering on the snouts of the large felines, and she was quick to realize what Naruto wanted her to do. She quickly began to chant a wind spell.

 **BOOM!**

Dust tripped and fell into the snow when an explosion went off and a wave of heat washed over him. He then looked back just in time to see a large gust of sweep up the flames, along with the Rookie Killers, into a vortex of fire. The snow bellow, including the grass beneath, was burned away from the extreme heat of the combination attack.

'Th-that's overkill…'

Dust thought with a frightened expression as the burned crisps that were once feared Rookie Killers fell to the ground.

"Oh my, it seems Dust-San is the only one that got hurt. I can heal those scrapes if you want, for a price that is."

Cecily, the priestess of their party said with a gentle smile and offered the boy a hand.

Dust smacked the girl's hand away before he picked himself off the ground. This woman was just as annoying as the Arch Priest in Kazuma's party, but at least he didn't have to worry about her forcing the Axis Cult religion onto him anymore.

"Nice work, Yunyun! That wind spell was awesome!"

Naruto said as he ran over to the shy mage.

"Th-thank you very much! I saw the flickering and thought it might have been those Explosion papers Naruto-San showed me the other day, so…"

Yunyun said while poking her fingers together shyly. To be praised by a party member after a hard-fought battle… This is all she could have dreamed for and more!

"Ah, but if you don't mind me asking… W-why are Naruto-San's eyes different?"

The younger girl asked while stealing glances at the shinobi's different colored eyes. They were an orange color instead of their usual blue, and even his pupils had an odd shape to them.

Naruto tilted his head to the side in confusion when he realized he had yet to tell her about Sage Mode.

"Oh! This is a special mode I can enter by mixing the natural energy to my own energy. It's called Sage Mode, and it gives me a boost in strength and speed."

"That's how you were able to throw those Rookie Killers like they were frisbees!?"

Dust butted in while looking his fellow male's changed features. He was honestly surprised at the brute strength Naruto had just displayed, because no normal person was able to throw such a massive creature with their bare hands. Not even Darkness, who had the strength to tank the jaws of a Rookie Killer without her armor.

Speaking of which, why were there so many Rookie Killers showing up recently? It was rare enough to find one, but two? They were even working together, and Rookie Killers were anything but pack hunters. This was suspicious…

"Well, we cleared more than enough goblins to complete the quest, and I think I got the gist of our combat potential as a group. Let's head back to the guild and we'll split the reward between the four of us."

Naruto said while glancing at all three of his party members. With this, their first quest was over. Now they could move onto the more exciting quests like the manticore and griffon fighting over territory.

"Wait! Cecily didn't do anything!"

Dust complained while pointing an accusing finger at the priestess, who she responded with a yawn.

"Cecily-San is our party's healer, and she has no offensive abilities against normal monsters. If anything, it's better if she doesn't have to do anything."

Yunyun said with Naruto nodding in agreement, causing the delinquent adventurer's jaw to drop.

"That's my little Yunyun! Also, please call me Cecily-Nee!"

Cecily said and pulled the flustered Yunyun into her bosom.

"B-but with the Boss here with his crazy strength, and Yunyun-Chan with her powerful spell, that means Cecily won't ever have to do anything! That's not fair! Why can't I have a role that doesn't involve me risking my life as bait!?"

Dust cried out, and his complaints weren't all just rants. When the Rookie Killers first appeared, Naruto had instructed Dust to distract them so he and Yunyun could prepare their techniques.

Bait? Really? It was a serious waste of the great Dust-Sama's abilities.

"Heh. It seems Dust doesn't understand my role at all. It's because of my presence that Naruto and Yunyun-Chan can give their all. My elegant essence as a priest boosts their morale."

Cecily bragged, and Dust snorted.

"No way Yunyun-Chan would believe that crap. Right, Yunyun-Chan?"

"Please stop calling me that!"

Yunyun blurted out as she couldn't handle being called "Chan" any longer.

Naruto laughed at his party's antics. Adventuring in a party like this was a lot more fun than he thought it was going to be, especially when you considered the people in his group. But it was time they returned to the guild. There were plans that he needed to start making.

"Come on guys, we'll talk about our roles on the way back."

With that said, Naruto and his party started their journey back home. Which wasn't all that far, just a couple hours walk down the mountain trail and Axel would be in sight.

But as they trekked down the mountain, Dust walked up to Naruto's side while.

"So, Boss… About the bet you made with troublesome priest number one. Who're you gonna to pick?"

Despite what the rumors claimed, Dust already knew that Naruto didn't have a girlfriend and wasn't juggling women at all.

In fact, that couldn't have been farther from the truth.

Naruto was so dense when it came to women, that he was completely oblivious to any sign of a girl liking him. Even Dust was able to see the obvious signs that Aqua had some sort of thing for Naruto, though she would never admit it given that horrible personality of hers.

While it was a slight disappointment to Dust, as his initial plan to follow the guy around to learn how swoon women was now void, that didn't necessarily mean he couldn't learn a thing or two.

But even if Naruto was as dense as enchanted armor, he was still surrounded by pretty girls that were competing for his attention one way or another. What Dust needed to do was observe how Naruto acted around these women, as well as their reactions to his actions, then Dust would become the ultimate lady killer! Because unlike Naruto, Dust would be able to utilize these unconscious skills with perfection.

Naruto scratched at his whisker marks awkwardly.

"Right… About that, I was just gonna ask Luna-Chan-"

"Oh~! The beautiful busty receptionist Onee-Chan at the adventurer's guild? Not a bad choice at all!"

Dust interrupted while rubbing his chin slyly.

"N-no, that's not what I-"

"You did a lot of favors for Luna, like doing all those durian quests, so how could she deny? Ah! That must have been your plan all along, huh? As expected of the Boss!"

"…"

Naruto sweatdropped as Dust continued to ramble on. He clearly misunderstood something there, but whatever. His plan was to ask Luna for advice on girls, NOT ask her out on a date. He didn't think someone as popular as Luna would be single anyway, since the guys in the guild used to be so defensive when he talked to her. Not since he explained that he never had such intensions to them.

Well, that as well as beating them up when they didn't believe him. But mostly explaining himself like any civilized person would. Mercilessly sending people to the Eris Church to heal without explaining themselves beforehand was something a delinquent would do after all.

While Naruto and Dust became lost in their own thoughts, Yunyun stared at the shinobi's back worriedly.

'I was surprised Naruto-San said he was going to get a girlfriend by the end of the week… He even made a bet with that loud priest in Megumin's party. I wonder who he's going to ask.'

Yunyun wondered if that arch priest liked Naruto.

No, that wouldn't make sense. She made a bet for Naruto to get a girlfriend after all. Only a fool would tell the person they liked to find a lover that wasn't them.

This situation was quite exciting to Yunyun. She had never experienced anything like a friend searching for a lover. She would support Naruto in any way she could!

Cecily, who looked as though she was about to fall asleep, noticed Yunyun staring at Naruto's back intensely. In that instance, her tired expression shifted to a mischievous one.

* * *

 **Adventurer's Guild…**

After Naruto turned in the quest and distributed everyone's share of the reward, they each went their separate ways for the day.

Cecily claimed she still had her duties at the Axis Cult church, Yunyun said she had some research to do at the town's local library, and Dust told Naruto to find him if he needed any help with the bet before going straight to the bar and ordering some booze.

So after the party dispersed, Naruto walked back to the reception desk. It was time to get some advice.

"Oh, did you need something else Naruto-San?"

Luna asked as the shinobi walked up to her desk. She was half-expecting him to ask for another quest, as hunting for goblins didn't seem like a quest that would satisfy his hunger for a challenge. But the nervous expression he was making said otherwise, and made her heart skip a beat.

What was this? Why was he acting so nervous? Naruto was never nervous, unless…

"H-hey, Luna-Chan… I was wondering if I could ask you something."

Naruto stuttered while struggling to look the girl in the eye. He didn't think asking a girl for advice on woman would be so nerve-wracking!

"Of course. What can I help you with?"

Luna said while maintaining her usual professional outlook. But on the inside, she was growing anxious. She had been listening in on Naruto's conversation with Aqua earlier, just in case she needed to stop the two from fighting of course and had been surprised when the boy had declared he was going to get a girlfriend by the end of the week.

With the way he was acting right now in front of her… Could it be that he was going to ask her out!? Despite his short-fused personality, Naruto was a nice guy. Unlike a lot of the male adventurers in town, he genuinely gave his all in helping people. Like taking on the durian quests when no one else would.

Naruto took a deep breath to calm himself before he went out and asked.

"I want to get a girlfriend, so I was wondering if you could give me some advice."

 _Advice._

"O-oh… I see. You want my advice."

Of course he was only going to ask her for advice on the subject. It's not like they were close or anything. But she couldn't help but pout at being led on, even it was by accident.

"Yeah! Because Luna-Chan if probably really experienced with love since you're so popular with the guys here."

Naruto said with a foxlike grin, his nervousness disappearing.

"I-is that so?"

Luna said while smiling bitterly. Contrary to popular belief, she had never actually had a boyfriend. Sure, the male adventurers often fought over her. But she never actually dated any of them. They weren't her type after all.

She wanted a nice young man to sweep her off her feet and take her away from this stressful life as the head receptionist of Axel's adventurer's guild. But unfortunately, even if there was such a guy her job didn't allow such a luxury.

Even if Axel was a town famous for being a meetup spot for beginners, the amount of trouble had actually been rising and in turn, her workload managing the quests was increasing.

Going on dates with nice young men was but a dream.

Getting back to the topic at hand, Luna coughed into her hand to secure Naruto's attention.

"If you want my advice, then that's fine. But excuse me for asking, but why do you want a girlfriend so suddenly?"

Luna asked because until now, all Naruto seemed to be interested in was going on challenging quests.

"Hm… Back at my old home, all I ever did was focus on training to get stronger. My mentor always scolded me for not enjoying myself. But now that I'm living here in this new town away from my old responsibilities, I realized my mentor was right. So I decided to do all the things I couldn't do back at my old home, one of which was getting a girlfriend."

Naruto explained with a sheepish look on his face. He didn't think he would ever get used to saying those words. 'I want a girlfriend' was something he just didn't imagine coming out of his mouth until recently.

"I see… So, what is Naruto-San's type?"

Luna asked, prompting her fellow blonde to raise an eyebrow.

"My type? You mean my class? I'm still an Adventurer, ya know?"

Naruto said while looking at Luna as if to say: "Are you okay?".

"No no… I mean, what type of girl are you attracted to?"

Luna asked a second time, this time with a better description as to what she was asking for. She had a feeling this was going to be a long conversation.

"Oh! Um… I guess a girl around my age maybe? Nice, likes to help people, and always tries her hardest!"

Naruto said while listing off the things he'd like to see in a companion. He also tried to describe someone similar to his mother, since she told him to find someone like her when they talked.

' **Mama's boy.'**

'Shut up.'

After silencing the noisy fox, Naruto looked at Luna for her response. But she seemed to be preoccupied with something as she had quickly turned around and was fidgeting slightly. Perhaps she was thinking up some advice for him now?

In reality, Luna had blushed when Naruto described his type and was forced to turn away.

'Oh my gosh… Did he just purposely try to describe me!?'

She thought while clasping her reddened cheeks, with Naruto sending her questioned glances in the background. But if he really was describing her, then why was dragging this on for so long? Why didn't he just ask her out already!?

There was only one way to find out.

"I think I know a girl that matches that description. In fact, she's part of this guild…"

"Oh! I think you're right! Do you think she's seeing anyone right now?"

Naruto said and bopped a fist in his hand in realization.

"N-no… I d-don't think she is."

Luna found herself stuttering.

Oh no, she was starting to break character! But she couldn't help it! She didn't know Naruto was this good at teasing women. But it seemed like the climax was about to happen, and finally… Finally! She would be able to experience the life of a young maiden in lov-

"That's true, Darkness didn't seem like she was dating someone. But man, that's a surprise. You would think someone as kind and beautiful as Darkness would have a boyfriend already. Maybe I'll try asking her out…"

Naruto said while scratching at his whisker marks.

"…"

* * *

"Luna-Chan got mad at me for some reason…"

Naruto said as he dejectedly walked to his bed. It was now night, and he had already pre-prepared the ingredients for Wiz's lunch tomorrow. He planned on bringing Yunyun there as well, but he couldn't find the girl. Oh well, maybe he'd introduce her to Wiz another day.

But at least he had a potential girl he could ask out.

"Darkness, huh? She's kind, pretty, and tries her best to protect everyone as a Crusader… Oh yeah, and she tried her best against all those cabbages to protect someone that one time."

Naruto said as he slipped into his sheets and found himself reminiscing the events of the Cabbage Harvest as he began to fall asleep.

'Maybe someone like… Her…'

* * *

 **A/N: Naruto's about to have some sweet dreams. Hint hint. ;)**


	29. Erotic Dreams About Cabbages?

' _Ninety-eight…! Ninety-nine…! One-hundred cabbages defeated! Take that Aqua!'_

Naruto cheered as he cut off the wings of his one-hundredth cabbage. He was standing in the middle of the familiar battlefield between the adventurers and the army of cabbages. What a glorious battle it had been, and now he was reliving it in the form of a dream.

How did he know it was a dream? The fact that Aqua's fuming face was distorted in squiggles only a child could draw was a dead giveaway.

But since Naruto knew he was in a dream, he was going to take full advantage of it and continue to make Aqua suffer in the form of killing even more cabbages than her!

' _Get back! I'll hold off the enemy!'_

As the shinobi continued to slice-and-dice his vegetable foes, he heard a familiar voice and turned to see Darkness standing over a very cartoonish-looking adventurer.

' _Oh yeah, this was the part when Darkness was protecting that adventurer from the cabbages… Eh?'_

Naruto became slack-jawed when he saw the current state Darkness was in. All her armor was scattered on the ground, and her clothes weren't any better. There were rips and tears all over her form, which revealed a lot of skin.

Needless to say, it made Darkness look very erotic.

While Naruto was struggling to keep his eyes away from the girl's nearly revealed parts, he noticed a giant cabbage making its way towards her blind spot.

' _Watch out!'_

Naruto ran over to Darkness and tackled her out of the way just as the giant cabbage bulldozed over the area.

The blondes proceeded to roll down a long hill, whilst embracing one another, until they came to a stop in a pile of brightly colored flowers that shot up into the air.

Naruto groaned as his head continued to swirl. This was quite the realistic dream he was having if he could even feel the repercussion of involuntary spinning.

But as his hands mindlessly explored the area around him he felt a sudden sense of relief, so he embraced it and snuggled into what felt like the softest pillows he had ever felt. It smelled good too…

Wait. Pillows didn't smell this good.

Naruto warily opened his eyes and discovered that he was in fact snuggling closely into Darkness's bosom, and even had his arms and legs wrapped around her body like one might hold a pillow in the middle of the night.

' _Wah! I'm sorry! It's not what you think! I'm not a pervert that takes advantage of the situation like Kazuma, I swear!'_

Naruto yelled and scrambled to stand up, but he stumbled on his own two feet and fell on his butt and held his head down in shame. He didn't even know the girl that much, but now she was going to hate him.

But just as he thought his friendship with Darkness was over before it even started, he heard a soft giggle. He looked back up to see Darkness laughing into her hand, and he couldn't help but blush.

The light, and the brightly colored flowers surrounding them, it all just complimented just how beautiful Darkness looked to him right now.

Her tattered clothing wasn't helping either.

' _That's okay, you saved my life. An action like that deserves a reward, does it not?'_

…Hang on. Something about this whole scenario was strange.

Why was Darkness pushing him down? Why was she taking her shirt off? Why was she coming closer to him? Where did the cabbages go!?

' _Give in to the pleasure… Hnn!?'_

Just as Darkness's were just brushing against Naruto's own, she made a sudden yelping sound and her face scrunched up in pain.

' _H-huh?'_

Naruto felt dizzy as the world around him began to blur into nothing but darkness, and he could hear faint shouting in the distance.

* * *

"Take this, devil scum! **Purification**!"

"Kyah!"

Naruto's eyes shot wide open just in time to see Cecily kick a woman dressed in extremely skimpy clothes out the window. Were those wings on her back?

"Damn Axis Cultist…! I'll be back, Naruto-Sama~! I vow to awaken your true form next time!"

The winged woman declared before flying off into the night, leaving Naruto and Cecily alone in his room.

"Tsk! I was waiting to sneak into your window after you fell asleep, but that bitch beat me to it…"

Cecily muttered and clicked her tongue in disgust.

"You were going to what!?"

Naruto shouted while jumping out of his bed.

"Uh oh~! It seems that Succubus was about to have her way with you. Good thing I showed just in time to save your most important thing."

Cecily said while eyeing Naruto's lower half.

"My wha-AH!?"

Naruto shouted in surprise when he saw that his pajamas, save for his boxers, had been stripped from his body and thrown across the room.

Was that Succubus planning to rape him!?

"I-I guess I should thank you, but why are you even here? Don't tell me you were actually planning on sneaking into my room while I was asleep."

Naruto asked Cecily as he swiftly picked up his pajamas.

"It seems the Axis Cult members in this town have learned of my exploits in Alcanretia. As such, I have been kicked out of the church's living quarters until I make amends."

Cecily said while trying to peek at the shinobi's exposed skin, but he threw his blanket over her face.

'Geez… Even her fellow worshipers turned on her. But I guess this is the Axis Cult we're talking about.'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop as he shuffled his clothes back on. When his pajamas back on, he recovered his blanket from Cecily and placed it back onto his bed and sat down.

"So I'm guessing you don't have anywhere to go?"

"Yup! If only a kind, handsome young man would offer his _savior_ a place to stay for a night or ten…"

Cecily sat down next to him and scooted her way closer to the whiskered teen, and it took a deftly placed elbow on her ribs to get her to stop.

Naruto sighed tiredly. It wasn't like he could just throw her out, she did save him from a Succubus just now and she was his party member. But she couldn't stay here for obvious reasons…

'Ah, didn't Yunyun get a room in this inn?'

Naruto hadn't see Yunyun since their party had split up for the day, but he knew she had gotten a room at this inn. He just felt he shouldn't bother her until the next day. But this was a party emergency!

"Come with me."

"Oh! How forceful! I knew you wouldn't be able to resist my voluptuous body!"

"Hush you."

Naruto grabbed Cecily's hand and dragged her out of his room and into the hall. If he wasn't mistaken, Yunyun's room was on the same floor. If he spread out his senses to try and find her…

'…Huh? Isn't this right next door?'

Naruto thought when he found himself standing at the room that was right next to his own. He could sense Yunyun's presence behind the door, so there was no mistaking it. What a coincidence for her to have rented the room right next door to him.

"Hey, Yunyun. Are you awake?"

Naruto said in a hushed tone while lightly knocking on the door. He hoped she wasn't awake and heard all the ruckus from his room, it would be a pain if she misunderstood anything.

"What's this? Little Yunyun-Chan lives right next door? You sneaky little devil you…"

Cecily said and Naruto was about to defend himself, but he stopped when he saw that the girl wasn't even looking at him. She was staring at the door with a mischievous smile on her face. Weird.

The sounds of feet shuffling could be heard from within the room, and the door opened moments later with Yunyun poking half her face out.

"O-oh… If it isn't N-Naruto-San and Cecily-San…"

Yunyun stuttered while completely failing to maintain eye contact with the blonde duo.

'She totally heard us…'

Naruto thought while struggling to sustain the awkward smile on his face, all the while Cecily was waving cheerfully. Learn to read the mood, ya damn psycho!

"S-sorry to bother in the middle of the night, but do you think Cecily could stay with you? At least for tonight? She doesn't have anywhere to stay…"

"Sleep over with cute little Yunyun!"

Cecily chimed and ran past Yunyun and into the room without permission.

"Sorry… But it would be weird if she stayed with me, and I don't want to leave my party member on the streets."

Naruto said with a sweatdrop as he and Yunyun watched the older girl jump on Yunyun's bed like some child at a slumber party.

"That's okay… I'm already familiar with Cecily-San's… Quirks."

Yunyun said with a similar expression to Naruto's.

With Cecily's situation settled, Naruto bid them farewell before he walked back to his room.

'Come to think of it, I didn't even bother to ask if she was tired from their trip… And now I just forced that crazy priestess on her. I'm a horrible party member…'

Naruto thought as he climbed back into his bed for what he hoped was the last time that night. At this rate, he was gonna have to prostrate in front of the mage and beg for forgiveness. He was definitely going to have to make it up to Yunyun now. But the question was… How?

'Oh yeah, why didn't you wake me up, Kurama!? I know you sensed that Succubus's presence!'

Naruto suddenly screamed into his mind, because he knew the tailed beast was already awake.

' **Keh, and miss that entertainment? Besides, even if that priestess hadn't showed up, you could have used the experience as practice to seduce that crusader woman you're aiming for.'**

Kurama responded in a snarky, but clearly amused tone.

'Experience you say… But why would that Succubus do that anyway? Also, what did she mean by "awaken" me?'

' **Hm… Perhaps those lesser devils have mistaken my power as your "true self", and as such, they have decided to use seductive means to "awaken" you by influencing your dreams by making them... Erotic. Quite an amusing power.'**

Naruto shuttered at the thought of a Succubus having their way with him while he slept. That devil might have been beautiful, but he didn't feel comfortable with being forced into such actions.

'Those Succubus are running a café in town, right? Maybe I'll ask Dust if he knows anything about them tomorrow…'

But that was enough for one night, it was time to sleep.

* * *

 **The Next Day…**

"So, Boss? How'd you sleep last night?"

Dust asked as Naruto walked out of Wiz's magic store because he had promised to meet with the shinobi after he was done helping Wiz yesterday. It was time to plan his next move.

There were rumors going around of a Succubus being spotted the night before, but there was no way Dust knew Naruto was involved… Right?

Although the guy seemed to know a little more than he was letting on. Suspicious…

Deciding to avoid the Succubus topic for now, Naruto started leading them towards the town's plaza.

"I slept fine. But, I think I found a girl that I want to try… Asking out."

Man, was that hard to say out loud. Who knew this kind of talk would be so difficult?

It hard to believe he was able to declare his love for Sakura in public like he did in the past. But now that he was older, stuff like love and romance seemed a lot harder to express now. To think he had spouted out all that nonsense at the guild yesterday.

Even now, just thinking about Darkness was making him anxious. Is this what one might call love? Or was it because he was the incident with the Succubus giving him PTSD? He couldn't tell.

"Oh? Who's the target this time?"

Dust asked, yanking Naruto out of his thoughts.

"Don't call her a target! That'll make it sound like I'm after her life!"

Naruto blurted out, drawing the attention of some nearby townsfolk. His ears burning red, the shinobi started walking faster to their destination.

"Heh, the Boss is so shy. But I guess that's why your tactics are so effective, so I won't question it."

Just what was this guy babbling about?

Making it to the town's plaza near the guild without causing another scene, the two boys stopped at a local fountain. Naruto planned to use the running water to cover their conversation.

"Alright, enough with the shy act and tell me who it is already. The suspense is kill me!"

Dust ushered as he was beginning to lose patience.

"Okay okay! I was thinking, maybe… Darkness?"

Naruto said while scratching at his whisker marks.

"…Seriously?"

Dust said with a deadpanned expression.

"Why are you looking at me like that? What's wrong with Darkness?"

Naruto asked, and Dust sighed while shaking his head.

"Where should I even begin? Listen, Boss. Sure, Darkness may have an erotic body and good facial features, but she's a lost cause man. That personality of hers is just too much of a turn off."

Dust thought back to the days he had traded parties with Kazuma. Every single quest they went on, Darkness had thrown herself in front of the enemy while coming up with some form of excuse that would put her in harm's way. Even when she wasn't wearing armor, the girl had jumped in front of a Rookie Killer with an eager expression on her face.

That just wasn't normal.

"What are you talking about? Kazuma too, you both say that Darkness has a bad personality. But I don't see that at all! Darkness is a kind person who would put herself in danger to protect her allies. She looks like she's always trying her best, and I respect that. You need to apologize to Darkness for insulting her like that."

Naruto said as his anger began to swell up, but he managed to calm himself before he started yelling. There was obviously some kind of misunderstanding here.

Maybe Dust and Kazuma just couldn't see the Darkness that he saw.

Dust's expression went from deadpanned, to straight up pitiful. How could someone mistake Darkness's masochistic ways as kindness? But oh well, he could work with this.

"Alright, I'll apologize later. So? When are you going to ask her out?"

It would be better to go with the flow and see how Naruto reacted when he saw Darkness's true nature.

"Eh? I-I can't just ask her out all of a sudden like that… We hardly know each other."

Naruto stuttered while poking his fingers together.

"What are you, some fragile maiden? Sheesh, you really do have a crush on that girl don't you Boss? But whatever, for now we should go and find Darkness. The best way to do that would be to find Kazuma."

Dust said and Naruto nodded in agreement.

With their initial plan to find Darkness decided, Naruto and Dust set out to look for Kazuma. Their first destination was the adventurer's guild. But when they arrived, the boy was nowhere to be found.

"Odd… Kazuma and his party are usually arguing over a quest around this time. Wanna try asking Luna?"

Dust suggested as they stood at the front of the guild.

Naruto took one look at the receptionist desk and sweatdropped when he saw that Luna had been glaring at him. But upon noticing his gaze, she looked away in a huff.

"…Maybe we should try their mansion."

* * *

 **Kazuma's Mansion…**

"Hey, Aqua. I've been meaning to ask, but why did you even agree to that bet between you and Naruto in the first place?"

Kazuma asked as he sat on the carpet in front of the firepit. In front of him was a pile of scraps and wood, along with a paper and pencil. He had just recently gotten the crafting skill and was currently working on a prototype to a much-needed product from his old home.

"Are you still mad about something so trivial? Silly Kazuma, acting like such a kid."

Aqua said as she lounged on the couch facing away from the boy. She didn't even bother to turn around and simply waved her hand as she spoke.

Kazuma twitched and stopped fiddling with his contraption for a split second before he went back to working. He was getting quite good at tolerating the bratty goddess. Maybe his tolerance level was rising?

"But to answer your question, I accepted because Naruto obviously isn't going to get a girlfriend. Just like a certain shut-in, that man doesn't know the way to a woman's heart."

Aqua said as she finally turned on the couch to face thee teen.

Kazuma twitched again but went back to working as the goddess continued to speak.

"Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if he got on his knees and begged me to be his girlfriend on the last day. Puhihihi! What a hopeless man!"

Aqua said and kicked her legs out while laughing, hitting Kazuma in the back of the head a couple times.

"…"

As Kazuma was repeatedly smacked on the back of the head, his anger continued to boil up. His tolerance may have increased due to the nature of his party members, but one could only tolerate this self-proclaimed goddess for so long.

It wasn't until Aqua decided to use Kazuma's head as a foot rest when he finally snapped.

"Are you an idiot or something!?"

Kazuma barked and smacked the girl's legs off his head, and Aqua immediately fumed. But he didn't give her a chance to say anything and proceeded to retort her bet.

"The bet is centered around Naruto getting a girlfriend? You like him, don't you? Won't it spell trouble for you if he actually finds someone?"

"Huh!? How could the great me, the revered goddess of water Aqua-Sama, fall in love with that loud-mouthed brat with little to no common sense!?"

Aqua said with a disgusted look on her face, and it took Kazuma's all to keep himself from telling her to look in a mirror.

"I understand the kind of guy Naruto is, but he's actually quite popular. Wiz, the receptionist Onee-Chan at the guild, and now those two cute girls in his party! Although, one's too young and the other's an Axis Cultist…"

Kazuma said, muttering the last bit to himself.

"…"

Aqua silently stood up and walked to the stairs, which was quite strange and not like the girl to be so silent after getting a verbal lashing.

Kazuma sighed before he went back to working on his prototype for a couple minutes.

That girl just wasn't being honest with herself, and she was going to regret it when Naruto showed up at the guild with a girlfriend. Not that it was Kazuma's problem.

…Wait. It WAS his problem!

'I almost forgot about Naruto's side of the bet! If he gets a girlfriend, then that means I'll have an additional four-million Eris added onto my debt! There's no way I can let that happen!'

Kazuma didn't want to think about it too much because the extra stress wasn't healthy. He decided that he'd rent a room in town so someone from "that shop" could heal his soul during the night.

He couldn't be here because of a certain priestess put a barrier that repelled devils around the mansion. That barrier had ruined his first experience with the Succubus shop, which forced him to come up with the idea of sleeping at an inn.

 _Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Kazuma put his tools on the floor and walked to the door when he heard someone knocking, and he opened it to see Naruto and Dust.

"Yo! Kazuma!"

Naruto said with a wave of his hand while peeking inside to see who else was there, and Kazuma noticed he was holding a book in his hands.

"What's up, Kazuma old buddy old pal~? Mind if we come in and chat?"

Dust said while letting himself in before Kazuma could even say anything.

"Sure… Come on in."

Kazuma said and gestured for Naruto to come in. At least one of them had manners, but he wondered what they wanted…

'Wait, Naruto didn't already get a girlfriend, did he!?'

Kazuma thought and his eyes became glued to Naruto's back as he and Dust kicked their shoes off.

'No… Naruto seems like the kind of guy who show's off when something good happens. So I think I'm safe for now.'

With that thought creating peace in his mind, Kazuma closed the door and led his guests to the living room.

Naruto gulped as he nervously glanced at the brown-haired teen, who was looking at him suspiciously. There was no way Kazuma would help him if he learned he was looking for Darkness.

Dust grinned when he saw the looks on the other two boy's faces, a plan formulating in his head.

This was going to be an interesting conversation.

* * *

 **A/N: Next time, A Battle of Explosions! ^^**


	30. A Resolution to This Misunderstanding

"Here's the signed book from Ero-Senin I promised, Kazuma. Thanks again for watching over Wiz while I was gone."

Naruto said, and both Kazuma and Dust gawked at the book.

"OH! Thankyouthankyouthankyo-Ahem…! Pleasure doing business with you, sir."

Kazuma corrected himself and calmly took the book from Naruto's hands.

'That was close, he almost caught me off-guard. But I'm not gonna let let you butter me up that easily!'

Kazuma thought while maintaining his professional persona. Naruto was obviously here to ask him for something regarding the bet. So it would take a lot more than an item worthy of becoming the Satou family heirloom to sway the great Kazuma!

"Wait, how'd you get a signed book from the legendary Ero-Senin!?"

Dust grabbed Naruto's shoulders and started shaking him.

"You know about Ero-Senin?"

Naruto asked after pushing his fellow blonde away from him, all the while Kazuma was smothering his new book while the others weren't looking.

"Of course I do! Ero-Senin's books are well-known throughout the kingdom, and they're the only books I bother to read!"

Dust proudly claimed and flashed a copy of the Icha Icha Paradise from his back pocket.

Naruto and Kazuma gave each other a look before they turned back to Dust.

"You know how to read?" x2

"I'll fight you both right here and now."

"Anyways, Megumin's been running around town looking for you Naruto. Did you not see her on your way here?"

Kazuma asked, ignoring the raging Dust.

Megumin tried to drag Kazuma out of the house with her to find Naruto for their "destined showdown of Explosions!", but he managed to convince the girl into going by herself by telling her to bring Naruto to the mansion first.

…Hey, he wasn't lazy! It was cold outside! Very VERY cold!

"Megumin? No, I haven't seen her. But we were having that Explosion match today, weren't we?"

Naruto felt bad about keeping the little girl waiting again, but she was the one who forced the spell onto him and also wouldn't admit they were rivals.

"That nonsense can wait. Where are the other crazies?"

Dust asked while waving his hand dismissively, his previous anger gone like the wind.

Naruto hadn't noticed until now, but Dust was amazing in his own way.

"Well, we were just going to relax today since Megumin was going to have her showdown with Naruto. She can only use her magic once a day after all. So Aqua's in her room upstairs, and Darkness went into town saying something about keeping the streets clean, but I wasn't really listening."

Kazuma said while rubbing his chin in thought as he tried to guess what Darkness was probably up to. Knowing that hopeless pervert, she was probably trying to pick fights with thugs in a secluded alleyway.

"I-is that so? Keeping the town safe on her day off, huh? That sounds like something Darkness would do."

Naruto said while scratching at his whisker marks.

Kazuma narrowed his on the shinobi suspiciously. Something about the way he said that seemed suspicious to him.

"Why do you ask? Was there something you needed to say to any of them?"

"Eh? No, um… You see, the thing is…"

Naruto fumbled with his words as he tried to come up with an excuse for bringing Kazuma's party members up in the conversation. But when he couldn't think of anything, he looked to Dust for help and relaxed when he saw the guy giving him a thumbs up.

Who would have thought Naruto would be able to count on Dust of all people at a time like this?

"Boss here was thinking about asking Darkness out."

Dust blatantly said while pointing at Naruto.

"!"

Naruto sent Dust a betrayed look. He couldn't believe he trusted this fool! There was no way Kazuma was going to help them now! In fact, the guy was probably furious!

But to the ninja's surprise, Kazuma was looking at him with a mixed expression of confusion and… Pity?

"Hah? Why would you want to ask Darkness out? I already told you what her true nature is, didn't I?"

Kazuma said and was about to continue his rant if not for Dust, who wrapped an arm around his neck in a buddy-like manner.

"Hey, Kazuma my buddy! Come here for just a second, will ya?"

Dust said and led Kazuma to the corner of the living room.

"Why does Naruto want to ask Darkness out? Don't tell me he's secretly _one_ of those people?"

Kazuma whispered to his drinking buddy.

"It's all just a misunderstanding, man. Boss truly thinks Darkness is a kindhearted knight that wants nothing more than to help people. He hasn't noticed her hopeless fetish at all."

Dust answered while shaking his head.

"Seriously!?"

As Kazuma and Dust continued to whisper to each other on the other side of the room, Naruto watched them while rubbing his arm nervously.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter anyway. Even if it's a hopeless case, there's no way I'm helping you guys find Darkness now. I'm already neck deep in debt, there's no way I can survive anymore!"

Kazuma hissed.

"Now now, Kazuma my friend! There's no need to be so hasty in your decision! I think this might act in your favor too."

Dust said while smiling slyly, for this was where his plan truly shined.

"…How so?"

Dust seemed to have a plan in mind, and Kazuma was fully aware of the guy's talent when it came to scheming. Kazuma would have to be careful since Dust was in Naruto's party, so it wouldn't hurt to hear him out.

"Think about it. If the Boss and Darkness become lovers, then he would feel responsible when her party becomes buried in even more debt. You see, I've noticed the Boss has a bleeding heart. So I'm sure he'd be more than willing to take on his lover's debts."

"…I think you might be onto something here."

Kazuma said and glanced back at Naruto, who was looking through a pile of books that Darkness and Megumin shared. The guy did help Wiz for no reason other than being friends with her. At first Kazuma thought he was just trying to get on the clumsy shopkeeper's good side, but it was just Naruto being a kindhearted person.

'Then that means… If Naruto and Darkness became lovers, then that would also mean Darkness would eventually leave his party! That would mean one less problem child that he had to worry about!'

With that thought in mind, Kazuma turned back to Dust and the two exchanged a hand shake.

"Alight, I'll help you find Darkness. Not that I think it'll turn out like you hope it will."

Kazuma said as he walked back over to Naruto with Dust, because either way it was a win for him.

"Eh? Really? Even though the bet affects you to?"

Naruto asked with wide eyes. What miraculous things did Dust say to make Kazuma change his mind so suddenly!?

Was Dust actually an amazing person?

"I realized something… Before I came to this world, I was a shut-in with no experience with girls. I was a hopeless romantic with no chance of getting a girlfriend. My childhood friend, who promised to marry me when we grew older, fell for a delinquent senpai! But just because I can't a girlfriend, why should I get in someone else's way? Who am I to stop of a friend from finding happiness?"

Kazuma said dramatically while gripping his shirt over his heart tightly.

"What are you talking about?"

Dust asked with sweatdrop since he didn't know Naruto and Kazuma were from a different world. Was Kazuma trying to blow his cover with that crappy performance?

"*Sniff!* I knew you were a good guy, Kazuma! I owe you one!"

Naruto said while crying anime tears, causing the delinquent adventurer to face-fault.

'Leave it to Boss to buy such a sappy sounding story…'

Dust said as he recovered from the floor. But that didn't matter, because now things were going to get interesting.

* * *

"So where do you think Darkness is?"

Naruto asked as they walked through the streets of Axel. Kazuma said Darkness was on patrol, so maybe she was in the more populated parts of town. Perhaps the shopping center where thieves and dine-and-dashers were known for striking.

"She's probably in the less populated parts of town."

Kazuma said, which was the exact opposite of what Naruto said. Knowing Darkness, she was probably snooping around the isolated alleyways where no one would be able to hear shouting.

Sheesh, just thinking about what the tank of his party was probably doing made him want to give up on looking for her and go home.

"Eh? But wouldn't crime occur where there's more people?"

Naruto said when his eyes suddenly widened.

Of course! Darkness was leaving the heavily populated areas to the police! Instead, she was focusing on the lower populated parts where there was less police activity!

'He obviously misunderstood something…'

Kazuma said with a sweatdrop when he noticed the grin on Naruto's face. Unfortunately for the ninja(self-proclaimed), he was going to be thoroughly disappointed when they found Darkness.

The former shut-in could already picture what Darkness was doing.

The girl was mostly likely walking through the alleys with that stupid blush on her face, hoping to find a couple of ruffians. When she found some, she would then pick a fight with them and purposely lose her weapon. When the ruffians surround her, she'd spout out a bunch of nonsense about how she expected them to do outrageous things to her. All while having that stupid grin on her face.

"W-what do you uncultured beasts think you're doing!?"

A familiar voice shouted in a nearby alley.

Bingo.

"Hey, that was Darkness just now! She sounds like she's in trouble!"

Naruto said before he ran towards the shouting, with Dust and Kazuma following suit.

Making their way into the alley, the three boys poked their heads around the corner to see Darkness surrounded by four thug-looking individuals.

'I knew it.'

Kazuma thought with a twitching brow when he took a closer look and saw the tiny smile on Darkness's face.

"Disarming a woman and ganging up her… You really are the lowest of scum!"

Darkness said, her back pressed against the wall as she tried to make more distance between her and the thugs.

"What are you talking about, lady? You're the one who suddenly threw your sword at us."

One of the ruffians said while pointing at the broadsword that was impaled in the wall behind them.

"…What are you planning on doing to me? You're not thinking of making me strip in public, are you!? My armor is still being repaired, so I don't think I'll be able to fight back…!"

Darkness said while squirming in her own skin.

"Hey, Aniki? This chick just ignored me and is spouting out nonsense."

The ruffian said to the apparent leader.

"Tch! Crazy woman! Should we teach her not to mess with our group?"

The leader said while tapping the bat in his hands onto the floor.

'That idiot…'

Kazuma thought while palming his face. To anyone who was watching, it was obvious that Darkness was thee one that picked a fight with these people.

"Those bastards…!"

Naruto growled and was about to rush out, but Dust was quick to hold him back.

"Wait Boss, Darkness wouldn't lose to a couple of thugs like that. Just wait and see her true power."

Dust said with a serious expression.

"But she needs help! I can't just sit here and watch Darkness get attacked like this!"

Naruto responded and looked at Darkness, who looked like she was about to cry.

"Dust is right, Naruto. You haven't seen the true Darkness yet. You haven't gone on a quest with her yet, so you don't know this. But Darkness has a secret weapon to dealing with thugs like that."

Kazuma said with an expression that was equally serious as Dust's.

Naruto wanted to ignore them and just run out there to help Darkness, but it was true that he hadn't gone on a quest with Darkness. Both Kazuma and Dust had, so they knew more about her abilities than he did. So, he reluctantly sat and watched.

Darkness pointed at the supposed boss of the group of thugs.

"You must be the leader, right? I know your type! You probably want to add me to your collection! Those poor girls, having to put up your disgusting desires! Then, when you've had your way with them, you toss them aside and let your underlings have them like leftovers! You hounds!"

…

"…Aniki? Shall we go home now?"

One of the 'underlings' said in a timid voice. But before the boss could say anything, Darkness continued.

"I know it's going to be hard… But I'm willing to take those girl's place if you let them go! Ngh! Just imagining the unpleasant things you're all going to do to me… *Huff!* *Huff!* M-makes me sick to my stomach!"

Darkness said though ragged breaths, a raging blush on her face.

"A-aniki… I don't like the look in this woman's eyes!"

"S-she's crazy, aniki!"

"Mommy!"

The underlings all said as they hid behind their boss, who was also beginning to quiver in fear.

"W-we'll let this slide, just this once! Let's get out of here!"

The delinquent boss said before he and his underlings took off running, leaving Darkness to herself in the alleyway.

"Tch! Cowards."

Darkness said, her blush and ragged breathing now gone.

"You see? That's Darkness's true nature."

"Yeah yeah. What do you think, Boss?"

Kazuma and Dust said while nodding their heads sagely.

Naruto wordlessly stood up and walked towards Darkness, who was busy trying to pull her sword out of wall.

Dust and Kazuma gave each other a look before they went back to watching the whiskered teen.

"Here, let me help you with that."

Naruto said, startling the female knight.

"N-Naruto!? Why are you here?"

Darkness stuttered when Naruto suddenly showed up and grabbed the handle of her sword.

"I… Was watching you take care of thugs."

Naruto said as he pulled on sword, but he found that it was really stuck in there.

"Eh? I-is that so?"

Darkness said while adverting her gaze. How much did he see? She wasn't holding anything back against those ruffians. What was he going to think of her now?

It seemed Naruto had yet to notice her fetish, not that it was entirely a bad thing. Her fetish wasn't exactly something she took pride in, and it felt good to have someone think she was an ideal knight.

While Darkness was having these thoughts, Naruto was busy trying to pull the sword out of the wall.

'This… Stupid… Thing! Why won't it come out!?'

Naruto thought as he struggled with all his might. It was just a stupid sword, but if he put too much strength into pulling it out then the whole building would be in trouble.

Deciding to give it a rest, Naruto let go of the sword and turned towards Darkness.

"Sorry I didn't jump in and help, you seemed to have the situation under control. I would have jumped in if things got out of hand though."

"Ah, thanks… Um, how much did you see?"

Darkness asked, because the anticipation of his reaction was killing her. Not that she hated being kept in suspense.

"You… Are a little weird, aren't you?"

Naruto said while looking away awkwardly.

Needless to say, he noticed how happy Darkness seemed to be while she was 'under attack'. He still didn't quite understand it all, but it seemed he had misjudged her character a little.

"W-weird?"

Darkness said as she adverted her gaze again. That was a strange way to put it, and it wasn't exactly the kind of reaction she was hoping for either…

'Huh? That's weird… It looked like Naruto was beginning to realize Darkness's hopeless side. So why does it seem like things are going well between them right now?'

Kazuma thought with a raised eyebrow as he watched the scene in front of him.

Dust, on the other hand, was smirking victoriously. Things are going smoothly, as expected.

"I thought you were going to say I was a hopeless woman with a terrible personality. At least that's what Kazuma would say."

Darkness said while rubbing her arm shyly.

"That's something Kazuma would say, isn't it? That guy really doesn't know how to hold back."

Naruto said and leaned onto the handle of the sword.

Big mistake.

When Naruto put his weight onto the sword, it slipped out a bit and caused the shinobi to fall on his face. When he sat up, the handle of the now free sword fell and hit him on top of his head.

"Ouch…"

Naruto said, rubbing the top of his now bruising head. How could he let his guard down like that…

"Pftt…!"

Darkness giggled into her hand, prompting her fellow blonde to turn red like a tomato.

Naruto crossed his arms and pouted. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so embarrassed over such a pointless blunder.

Pulling himself off the ground, Naruto picked the sword up and offered it to the girl.

"Here."

The shinobi said and adverted his gaze awkwardly when Darkness smiled at him.

"Thank you-Ah!"

Darkness said when Naruto took off running after she grabbed the sword. But she couldn't help but laugh to herself.

'He may have called me weird, but he's plenty weird himself.'

With that thought, she turned the other way and walked deeper into the alleyway. Her hunt was still not complete!

* * *

Naruto ran past Kazuma and Dust, ignoring their calls, and jumped to the rooftops.

It seems he misjudged yet another member of Kazuma's party. First Aqua, and now Darkness.

'But still… Why do I feel like I want to know more about her?'

Naruto thought as he came to a stop. He now found himself on the rooftop of one of the buildings next to the adventurer's guild.

There was obviously more to Darkness than he knew, and judging by Kazuma and Dust's warnings, it didn't seem to be anything good.

Darkness's smile flashed in Naruto's memory, and again came that feeling of anxiety in his gut.

Shaking his head, Naruto hopped down from the rooftop.

He wanted to know more about Darkness before jumping to conclusions! Because he refused to believe someone with a genuine smile like that was a hopeless person!

'Dang it, I shouldn't have run away like that then! What was I thinking!?'

Naruto thought while scratching his head irritably. But he couldn't help it, after that embarrassing blunder!

Oh well, no use beating a dead horse. He'd always have more chances later. But he'd have to act quick, since there was only four more days in the week after today.

"Ah! There you are Naruto!"

"Hm?"

Hearing his name, Naruto looked over towards the guild to see Megumin pointing at him while standing over a crying Yunyun.

Wait… A crying Yunyun?

* * *

 **A/N: Okay,** _ **NEXT**_ **chapter is the battle of Explosions!**

 **Sheesh, I really need to think before I type. I got a bad habit of promising certain events and not doing it the next chapter. My bad. lol**


	31. Explosion! x2

'Why is Yunyun crying…? Oh no! I forgot about her again today!'

Naruto thought and ran over to the two Crimson Magic Clansman. How could he forgot to tell Yunyun that he went to Wiz's shop in the mornings before coming to the Adventurer's guild!?

"Honestly, you sure know how to keep a girl waiting Naruto! I've been looking for you all morning, you know?"

Megumin complained while pointing her staff at the incoming shinobi, uncaring of the crying girl at her feet.

"Naruto… San?"

Yunyun sniffled when Megumin said the blonde's name a second time.

"Yunyun! Are you okay? What happened?"

Naruto asked, ignoring the petite mage, and helping his partner to her feet.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!"

Megumin shouted and stamped her foot on the ground in frustration. If there was one thing that bothered her more than people looking down on Explosion magic, it was being ignored.

"W-well…"

Yunyun mumbled as Megumin fumed at being ignored once again.

* * *

 **Earlier That Morning…**

Yunyun had woken up to see that Cecily had already left. Which was strange, since the priestess didn't seem like the morning type when you considered her personality.

Disregarding the nun's absence, Yunyun got up to prepare for her day. She figured she would see Cecily again at the adventurer's guild anyway.

Just the thought of going on another quest with her party made Yunyun excited.

After getting dressed and gathering her gear, Yunyun slowly opened her door and peaked at the room next to hers.

'Naruto-San is staying in this room, right? I wonder if he already left?'

She wanted to knock on the door and ask if the blonde wanted to walk to the adventurer's guild together, but ultimately decided it would be better not to bother him for such a trivial thing. She would always see him later.

Making her way to the guild, Yunyun noticed Dust walking in the opposite direction.

'I wonder where that despicable man is off to… Oh well, it's better not to get involved with him if I don't have to.'

Yunyun thought with a nod as she walked up the steps to the guild hall. She entered the building and immediately stuck to the wall to avoid any of the people.

Sitting down at the corner table she had grown accustomed to the previous day, Yunyun pulled out her board game. Might as well practice as she waited for Naruto to show up.

'I wonder what kind of quest we'll be going on today? Even though yesterday's quest was easy, it was so much fun...'

The timid girl thought as she placed the pieces onto the table.

"Good morning! Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"

A waitress walked up to the table and asked, startling the mage.

"E-eh? Ah… N-no, not yet…"

Yunyun mumbled while looking at the table shyly.

But wait. What if Naruto was thirsty when he showed up? If she wasn't mistaken, he said his favorite drink was…

"U-um, I'll take two neroid juices please!"

* * *

 **Three Hours Later…**

The neroid juice was already warm, and Yunyun ended up ordering and finishing her breakfast. Did Naruto get caught up in some sort of trouble?

No, unlike that delinquent adventurer, Naruto wasn't the troublemaking type… Right?

'Come to think of it, we didn't actually make any plans to meet up today after what happened yesterday with Aqua-San…'

Yunyun thought as she fumbled with her empty glass, which reminded her of the knowledge she had acquired at the library. Naruto was trying to get a girlfriend, which was a subject Yunyun had absolutely zero knowledge of.

That is, until now.

What Yunyun had learned from the novels she skimmed through could prove helpful to Naruto with his goal, and she wanted to help out as much as possible. After all, talking to a friend about their love affairs was something she had always wanted to do.

It was then the guild doors burst open and a certain Crimson Magic Clansman stormed inside.

"Naruto! Where's Naruto!"

Megumin hollered as she scanned the bar for her blonde target.

Yunyun was getting a sense of déjà vu. Didn't this scene just happen yesterday?

Shaking her head, Yunyun stood up and walked over to her fellow clansman. This time she would defeat Megumin and claim the title of Number One Crimson Magic Clansman!

"Megumin! It's time we had… o-our… showdown."

Her voice gradually grew meeker when she realized the guild's attention was now on her.

"Oh, well if it isn't the weirdo number two? I'm sorry to say this, but my daily showdown has been reserved

Megumin said while touching her forehead in a haughty fashion, seemingly unbothered by the attention.

"Weirdo!? I-I may have scored second place to you on all the exams back in school, but hearing you say that rubs me the wrong way!"

Yunyun said, her voice regaining its volume.

"Oh, what's this? Weird Yunyun is acting awfully willful today! That sure is strange! As expected of the Crimson Magic Clan's number one weirdo!"

Megumin said while shaking her head and shrugging.

"Again with calling me weird! Megumin's the only weird one here! Wasting all those skill points on such a useless spell! I've been meaning to say this, but Megumin should be called the Crimson Magic Clan's number one idiot!"

Yunyun responded, prompting the shorter girl to step back in shock.

"Y-you really said it this time… Very well then! I may already have a showdown reserved for today, but for the gutsy Yunyun I'll make an exception! Our match will be hand to hand combat!"

Megumin shouted before pouncing on Yunyun.

"B-bring it on!"

* * *

Yunyun and Megumin were sitting on the steps in front of the adventurer's guild.

"Hmph! Yunyun is lucky the receptionist kicked us out before I could draw out my full power."

Megumin said with her arms crossed stubbornly.

"Megumin doesn't fight fair! How could you grope me in front of all those people!? I'm so embarrassed…!"

Yunyun said while hiding her teary red face behind her hands.

"It's Yunyun's fault for showing off those fat sacks in front of me!"

"M-Megumin's a dirty old man!"

"What was that!?"

And so, the two wrestled in front of the adventurer's guild. But once again, it ended with Megumin on top, and poor Yunyun on the ground crying.

"Waahhh! Megumin touched me in weird places in front of people again!"

Yunyun wailed as she sat on the ground in front of the "victor".

"You know what they say: "All's fair in love and war". A good mage is always prepared, and Yunyun was clearly unprepared for hand-to-hand combat. So, it's clearly my win."

Megumin told her rival like a teacher mentoring their student.

Yunyun defiantly stared up at Megumin with teary eyes.

"Oh, what's this? Do you still wanna go?"

Megumin asked while making strange gestures with her hands, prompting her fellow clansman to squeak.

"N-no! I get it! It's Megumin's win today!"

Yunyun stuttered while curling into herself to keep the little girl from groping her again.

Megumin was about to gloat in her victory when she noticed a figure falling from a nearby building.

"Huh? Ah! There you are Naruto!"

* * *

 **Present…**

Naruto stared at Megumin with a deadpanned expression, his eyebrow twitching ever so slightly. To correct his earlier statement, the was one girl in Kazuma's party that he did not misjudge.

Megumin was a brat.

"Shall we go on a quest, Yunyun?"

"O-okay!"

"Just a minute here!"

Megumin ran in front of Naruto and Yunyun just as they were about to walk into the guild.

"You've got a lot of nerve thinking you can just yet again walk away from me! You promised we were going to have our showdown! A battle between two people, who's love for Explosion magic is unrivaled! Our Explosions will shake the heavens!"

Megumin declared loudly with a massive grin on her face, her crimson eyes shining brightly.

"Besides, Yunyun was soft-banned from the guild for a couple hours for rowdy behavior."

The petite mage added nonchalantly, causing Yunyun's eyes widen.

"…You know, there's a lot of wrong in that little speech of yours."

Naruto said and looked at Yunyun for a second before sighing. But if Yunyun really was soft-banned from the guild, then they wouldn't be able to do a quest now anyways.

"Alright. Let's do this."

"Eh? Really?"

Megumin said with a surprised look, and Yunyun adorned a similar expression. They both didn't expect Naruto to give in so easily.

"Of course. I did promise yesterday, and I don't go back on my promises! Kazuma should be around the corner, so go get him and we'll go to that spot."

Naruto said and pointed in the direction he had left Kazuma and Dust, and Megumin nodded eagerly before she took off running.

When the little girl left, an evil smile formed on Naruto's lips.

Yunyun, having never seen such an expression on the blonde's face, almost jumped when he turned to look at her. But just as he faced her, the ninja's expression returned to his normal foxlike grin.

"Don't worry, Yunyun. I got an idea."

Naruto said with a hint of mischief hidden in his voice.

"I-is that so…?"

Yunyun didn't know whether to be worried about Naruto's strange behavior, or Megumin's wellbeing.

* * *

It didn't take long for Megumin to find Kazuma, and so, with Yunyun tagging along, the four of them set off on a "scenic walk" outside of town.

"What happened to Dust? Wasn't he with you?"

Naruto asked, and the only other male in the group shrugged.

"He suddenly took off after you left. What was up with you earlier anyway? Weren't things going well?"

Kazuma asked, and Naruto gulped when the two girls looked at him curiously.

"What was going well? Were you two with each other earlier?"

Megumin asked, with Yunyun nodding in the background.

"N-nothing… Ah, we were actually looking for you when we got separated! Silly Kazuma, falling behind like that! Ha ha ha…"

Naruto fibbed in an attempt to keep his confrontation with Darkness a secret. He didn't want them to know about his embarrassing blunder.

"Oh really?"

Megumin said while eyeing the nervous blonde closely, but she shrugged and let up her intense gaze.

"Well if that was the case, then why were you being so difficult earlier? To think we could have been having our showdown now…"

The Explosion mage said with a sigh.

"T-that's because you were bullying my party member!"

Naruto stuttered. Why was a kid calling him difficult!? He wasn't difficult! Megumin was the difficult one!

"Heh… You're both such kids."

Kazuma mused to himself, earning sharp glares from both Naruto and Megumin.

"I don't want to hear that from you." x2

"!"

While Kazuma bickered with Megumin and Naruto, Yunyun looked back and forth between the three of them. She wasn't sure how to join the conversation, or if she even should. She was just happy to have been invited to go along with them.

"Ah, I've been wondering for awhile now but… Where are we going?"

Yunyun found herself asking.

"To an abandoned castle that a Demon King General once dwelled. In fact, it was the very same General that I, along with my party members, vanquished the other day."

Megumin stated proudly as the walked up to a cliff, and a large rundown castle could be seen sitting atop a mountain across the valley.

'There she goes again…'

Kazuma thought while rolling his eyes, but he kept to himself to avoid any more arguing. It was cold outside, and he just wanted to go back to his warm, cozy mansion.

"Wait, you mean there was a strong enemy living in that castle when we here that one time!?"

Naruto said while looking at the crumbling castle in shock. How could he have missed out on the chance of fighting a Demon King General like that!?

"Naruto-San's been here with Megumin before?"

Yunyun whispered to no one in particular. Naruto had already mentioned that he knew Megumin, but from the way he spoke it didn't seem that they were all that close. Megumin did force him to learn that useless spell after all.

But were they closer than Yunyun had initially assumed?

Hearing Yunyun's question and seeing the troubled look on the girl's face, a mischievous smile formed on Megumin's lips.

"That's right. Naruto and I shared an _explosive_ moment together here. Isn't that right, _dear_?"

Megumin said and threw a wink at Naruto's direction.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh…!?"

Yunyun stammered as she looked back and forth between Naruto and Megumin. Did they cross the line!? No, there was no way Megumin was telling the truth!

"Hell no! We are not going through that again! Listen, Yunyun. I only came with Megumin here because Kazuma didn't want to do it with her that day!"

Naruto yelled to clear any misunderstandings, but it only seemed to worsen the situation as Yunyun's blush increased all the way to her ears.

' **Kekekek! You sure phrased that in the best way possible!'**

Kurama's amused voice chimed in, prompting Naruto to gain a blush of his own.

"I-I-I-I have some business to attend to at the library!"

Yunyun sputtered before she turned tail and ran back towards the town. Who knew Megumin had gotten so far ahead of her in a span of six months!

"Wh-No, wait! Yunyun! Come back! K-Kazuma! Say something!"

Naruto pleaded to his fellow male for help, but the guy merely shook his head in a pitiful fashion.

"Heh… Typical Yunyun to misunderstand the situation and run off. She's just too easy."

Megumin said with a self-satisfied expression, one that ticked Naruto off to no ends.

"Alright, that's it! It's time someone taught you a lesson, you brat! Let's do this!"

Naruto said and cracked his knuckles.

"Oh, you're finally ready? Very well then! Since I'm the senior in the path of Explosions, I'll go first to set the bar! Here I go!"

Megumin said and flipped her cape dramatically, an action Naruto was all too familiar with now.

"My name is Megumin! My calling is that of an Arch Wizard! Wielder of Explosion magic, the most powerful offensive spell in the world! To those who wish to observe my forbidden strength, prepare yourselves! For when one stares into the abyss, the abyss stares back!"

With her introduction out of the way, Megumin began to chant her spell.

"I'm going to judge the Explosions by their volume, destructive power, and heat. Depending on each category, you'll each be given a score out of one-hundred. Whoever scores more points is the victor."

Kazuma explained in a professional manor.

'For all those complaints about wanting to stay home, he sure enjoying this.'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop.

The air around the little girl began to swirl as she continued to collect mana, and a bright ball of collected energy formed at the tip of her staff.

"Let the hammer of eternity descend unto me! **Explosion!** "

 **Boom!**

The moment Megumin completed her incantation, a magic circle appeared above the castle and the entire structure was consumed in a pillar of flames.

"Become ash… Omph!"

Megumin said as the feeling of mana exhaustion overwhelmed her, and she fell to the ground just as a wave of heat swept over the three of them.

Despite it's faults, Explosion magic truly was a powerful spell. Only a fool would deny it's destructive power. Naruto was only able to achieve such destructive capabilities through outside sources, via Kurama or Sage Jutsu.

Yet Megumin, a thirteen-year-old girl, was capable of pulling off what was said to be impossible for humans.

But impressive as it may be, Naruto still had an ace up his sleeve.

"Oh~! That one was pretty good! The volume of the explosion was bigger than usual, and even through this cold I still felt the heat from here! You even managed to destroy one of the watchtowers this time!"

Kazuma said as he praised his party member while pointing at the now crumpled tower in the distance.

"Score… My score?"

Megumin asked as Kazuma picked her up and propped her on his back.

"Hm… I'd give it ninety-two points this time! As of last time's score of ninety, this is a new record!"

Kazuma said and gave the little girl on his back a thumbs up, to which she tiredly returned.

Naruto chuckled, breaking their little moment of broken records.

"Fufufu… That was an impressive explosion, Megumin. You've gotten stronger again since the last time I saw your spell. But you're not the only one who's been training!"

He didn't have a cape to flip like the Crimson Magic Clansman, so he made do with tightening his headband as dramatically as one could.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki! Son of the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village! Prized pupil of Ero-Senin himself! My calling is that of a ninja! With the help of the nine-tailed fox demon sealed inside of me, I have defeated countless foes! Get ready to see what the world's number one unpredictable ninja can do!"

Kazuma and Megumin's jaws dropped at the blonde's surprise self-introduction.

Stretching his arm out towards the ruined castle, Naruto went through his incantation as he and Kurama gathered the necessary chakra/mana.

"Burst forth! Explosion!"

Boom!

A ball of energy shot out of the palm of his hand at a neck breaking speed, smashing into the castle which was once again consumed in a fiery explosion.

When the smoke cleared, Kazuma and Megumin turned back to Naruto and were further surprised when they saw that the blonde was still standing. In fact, he didn't look tired at all.

"Hm… Looks like my Explosion magic isn't as powerful as Megumin's. It's to be expected though, she has more experience and has a staff that boosts her magic power after all."

Naruto said while nodding sagely, having expected this outcome.

"H-how…?"

Megumin gaped at the fact that Naruto not only made a glamorous self-introduction that would make any Crimson Magic Clansman proud, but he was still standing even after using Explosion magic!

All her life Megumin had been praised by her mentors for her inhuman mana reserves, but even she was barely able to use Explosion magic!

Naruto grinned as he took mental pictures of their surprised faces. But before he could rub it in the girl's face anymore, they heard a deafening roar and a massive silhouette burst out of the forest behind them.

"Eh!? What is that dangerous looking thing!?"

Kazuma yelped and immediately moved behind Naruto.

Hey, he was holding Megumin, and Naruto was capable of _punching_ giant toads across a field. What would you do?

"That's a One-Shot Bear… But what's a high leveled monster like that doing here?"

Megumin said, her attention being temporarily drawn away from the shinobi as the five-meter monster stomped its way towards them. That was when a thought occurred to her.

"Ah, we might be in trouble. I'm out of mana, and I doubt Naruto has that much mana left-"

The Arch Mage didn't get to finish her sentence when Naruto suddenly ran forward.

Was he crazy!? Beating giant toads is one thing, but One-Shot bears were very common monster around the Crimson Magic Clan. With the village being so close to the Demon King's castle, they were quite strong.

But a glint of orange light in the palm of Naruto's hand caught Megumin's attention, and her eyes widened even further when she felt a familiar sensation in the air.

"Blackness shrouded in light…"

Naruto mumbled before he dashed into the bear's guard, dodged a swipe by sliding under it at the last second, and positioned himself behind it.

" **Explosion Series: Rasengan!"**

"Graaaaoooorrr!"

The One-Shot Bear howled in pain as the orange sphere ground into its back. The monster was then picked up off the ground and sent spiraling past Kazuma and Megumin and over the cliff.

Boom!

The explosion detonated in the air, causing Kazuma and Megumin to fall to the ground due to how close it was.

When the sound of rushing winds was over, the two just stayed on the ground motionlessly.

"…Oi, Megumin. Naruto just used Explosion twice."

"…Yes. Yes he did."

While the two party members mumbled to one another, Naruto crossed his arms in mock-frustration.

"Dang~! Looks like that one still wasn't as good as Megumin's Explosion. That's too bad, I thought I'd be able to surpass you with that technique. Well, I still have one more trick up my sleeve."

Naruto said, prompting a tick-mark to form on the back of Megumin's head.

"You…!? How dare you defile Explosion magic like-!"

Megumin started shouting into the ground since she couldn't move, but she suddenly stopped when she realized the blonde had mentioned something strange.

"…What do you mean?"

Kazuma asked and slowly looked up at Naruto, a hint of fear in his voice. To his terror, the ninja had a massive grin on his face.

"Let's go, Kurama!"

Naruto shouted and flicked his arm out, and at the same time his body became shrouded in a golden energy.

'It's that form again…'

Kazuma thought with wide eyes.

But wait, it was different this time. Naruto now looked like he was wearing a long coat, despite only having on that jacket of his, and the black lines that covered his body were more defined.

"OHHHHHH!"

Naruto clasped his hands together and shouted, and the golden energy surrounding him began to expand.

"What's going on?"

Megumin shouted since she couldn't move, and therefore couldn't see anything. She felt Kazuma grab her head and position it so that she could see, and her eyes became saucers as she and Kazuma began to shift their gazes upward.

After that day, rumors that a mountain had gone missing began to spread throughout the Kingdom.

* * *

 **A/N: That poor castle…**

 **Just to clarify some things just in case, Naruto's is only able to use Explosion magic three times by himself due to its insane mana requirement. Remember how he uses both mana and chakra to perform the skills he learns? But with Kurama's help, Naruto can use Explosion magic three times and still stand because he would only be using up his mana reserves. But he wouldn't be able to use Explosion magic for a while(a day) because it requires both mana and chakra for his body to be able to perform the skills he learns in this Wonderful world.**

 **In short, Naruto supplies the mana and Kurama supplies the chakra, allowing Naruto to use Explosion three times without suffering mana exhaustion like Megumin since he still has his chakra leftover.**

 **See you all next time!**


	32. We're Already Friends, Right?

Kazuma stared blankly into the glass in front of him.

'I knew Naruto was probably overpowered, he received a cheat from the gods after all, but to think he was that powerful… It's just so unfair.'

Kazuma thought before glancing at the little girl sitting next to him, her crimson eyes void of their usual glow. Much like him, the mage had yet to utter a word since their return to the guild.

But that was to be expected, after what they had just witnessed.

Not only did Naruto show that he was capable of using Explosion magic twice without collapsing, but then the guy conjured up a golden fox avatar and launched destroyed what was left of the old castle.

Actually, forget the castle. The entire mountain had been blown away for crying out loud!

Kazuma looked at the man responsible for his and Megumin's current moods, and how he was drinking a glass of neroid juice without a care in the world. When the blonde teenager noticed the look he was receiving, Naruto merely grinned a cheeky grin before asking a nearby waitress to bring him more of his favorite beverage.

A thought suddenly occurred to the former shut-in. Despite clearly showing superior firepower in their competition, Naruto decided that Megumin was still the victor, claiming that his technique wasn't Explosion magic and therefore didn't count for their contest to which Megumin happily agreed to.

But something seemed off to Kazuma as he had always thought the ninja(self-proclaimed) came off as a competitive person, due to his constant squabbles with Aqua and Megumin. He didn't think Naruto was the type to let the little girl win so easily.

So why-

"Today's explosion was something else!"

"Yeah, I heard from some guys that were on their way back saw an entire mountain disappear!"

"It must have been that Explosion Girl!"

"You think so? Explosion magic is powerful, but an entire mountain is a little…"

A pair of rowdy adventurers could be heard from across the room, and upon hearing the rumors Kazuma's eyes widened in realization. His gaze shot back to Naruto just in time to see a dark grin on the boy's face.

"Those rumors are true! I bore witness to Axel's famous Explosion user blow away the mountain where a Demon King General once lived!"

Naruto stood up and shouted for all the guild to hear.

"So the rumors were true then! As expected of a Crimson Magic Clansman!"

"I knew it was our very own Explosion Girl!"

"Right? Who else even knows Explosion magic in this town anyways?"

Kazuma balked as the adventurers began to crowd up around their table and start praising the Crimson Magic Clansman.

"-sn't me…"

Megumin muttered in a low voice, causing the adventurers to lean in closer so they could hear her.

"What're ya shy about yer own achievements?"

"No need for that here! Hahaha!"

The crowd continued to shower the little girl with praise to the point where she began to shake.

But the final blow came from Naruto when he put a hand on the girl's shoulder and whispered into her ear.

"Come on, Megumin. You don't want to disappoint all these people, do you? A Crimson Magic Clansman never backs down, right?"

…

"That's right! I am Megumin! Wielder of Explosion magic! Destroyer of Mountains!"

Megumin suddenly shouted with a crazed expression and tears streaming down her face.

'She broke!'

Kazuma thought with wide eyes as he watched his companion jump on the table and waved her staff.

"Bring on the next Demon King General! I'll one-shot it with my mountain busting Explosion Magic! HA HA HA HA HA!"

Megumin shouted for all the guild to hear, and the adventurers cheered her on.

It all came together now. As far as the townsfolk knew, Megumin was the only person in town that knew Explosion magic. She held the infamous title "Explosion Girl" after all. So when the rumors of a mountain disappearing made it to the guild, it was only natural they would think it was her doing.

Naruto had exploited Megumin's pride by cornering her into taking the fame of an achievement that wasn't her own, and it was almost too painful to watch. The girl's pride must be in shambles right about now, if the swirls in her eyes had anything to say about it.

Kazuma shivered at the idea of Naruto coming up with such a well thought plan just to prank the little girl. He made a mental note to hold back when retorting that guy in the future.

Megumin then hopped down from the table and dashed out of the guild. It seemed she couldn't take anymore.

Kazuma sighed and moved to follow his companion, but not before glancing back at the cheering Naruto one last time.

"I won't say she didn't deserve this, and I won't ask you to apologize, but…"

"Yeah yeah, I'll stop by later to cheer her up if I need to."

Naruto responded before downing his beverage in one go, and Kazuma nodded before taking off to find the troublesome mage of his party.

With his company now gone and his party's whereabouts unknown, Naruto took a seat at the bar and ordered a third neroid juice. It was time to celebrate the success of his latest prank!

"That was interesting."

"Hm?"

Naruto turned to his right to see Chris taking a seat next to him.

"Oh, hey Chris. It's been awhile. Haven't seen you since, well… Since the first time we met!"

He greeted with a friendly smile, to which the girl returned.

"Yeah, I guess our schedules have keeping us busy! So what was that all about? Did Megumin really destroy a mountain?"

Chris asked with a hint of skepticism in her voice.

"The mountain really is gone."

Naruto said with a shrug, leaving the answer up in the air which caused Chris to pout.

"I see. Well then, I have another question for you. Is it true that Axel's Delinquent Boss is looking for a lady friend?"

Chris asked with playful tone. She had heard a rather interesting rumor that Naruto had made a bet with Aqua, with one of the details being that the blonde had to get a girlfriend.

"Please don't call me that. I'm not a delinquent, nor am I anyone's boss. But to answer your question, yes. Aqua and I made a bet with each other whether or not I could get a girlfriend, and I have until to end of this week to do so."

Naruto responded without missing a beat.

"I-is that so?"

Chris awkwardly said while scratching the scar on her cheek. She hadn't been expecting such a mature reaction from the boy.

"O-oh yeah! You're friends with Darkness aren't you? D-do you think I could ask you something about her?"

Naruto suddenly stuttered, and suddenly the glass in his hands seemed rather interesting as he could peel his eyes off it.

Chris raised an eyebrow at the sudden question. Given the previous topic, along with Naruto's sudden change of attitude…

'Does Naruto-San like Darkness? No, that can't be right. This is Darkness we're talking about, and I don't think Naruto-San is into that sort of thing… But this might be worth looking into…'

The silver-haired girl mused to herself before answering the blonde's question.

"We are, but why not just ask Darkness herself?"

"W-well, I tried talking to her earlier, but then one thing led to another and I messed up and hit my face…"

Seeing the strange look on Chris's face, Naruto quickly moved along.

"A-anyways! I just wanted to learn more about Darkness!"

Naruto blurted out while gripping his barstool, his ears turning red.

Chris felt a sudden urge to tease the nervous looking boy in front of her.

"I see I see… Well then, have I got the perfect information for you~! Darkness's three sizes are-"

"Not that kind of information!"

Naruto quickly intervened while crossing his arms in an "X" form.

The thief laughed at the expected reaction and held her hands up passively when he glared at her.

"Alright alright, I'll take this seriously. Darkness… How do I put it… Is a little weird."

"That what Kazuma and Dust keep telling me, and they say strange things about her "enjoying herself" whenever she's in pain. Whatever that means."

Naruto said and looked at Chris expectantly, causing the girl to gain a troubled expression. After all, it was kind of hard to say that your friend was a masochist.

"Well, they're not wrong. Darkness has a thing for trouble. She likes to put herself in danger all the time. But the reason is…"

Chris began to delve into Darkness's wonderful personality, and Naruto nodded his head as she talked up until she made the final reveal.

"…Huh?"

Naruto tilted his head when Chris said something that didn't make sense to him. It was similar to what Dust and Kazuma had told him, but he still didn't get it.

"What's a _mashoshist_?"

"Masochist. It's when someone pleasures from physical and psychological abuse. But it's not something one should be blurting out carelessly. I'll have to have a talk with Kazuma and this Dust fellow..."

Chris said in a hushed tone so that no one but Naruto would hear her. But she was honestly surprised Naruto hadn't noticed Darkness's obvious trait. But then again to Chris' knowledge, he had spent very little time around the Crusader.

'Pleasure from pain? That kind of reminds me of that crazy guy from the Akatsuki. But is Darkness really like that?'

Naruto thought as he thought back to his two major interactions with the beautiful knight.

Naruto recalled the three main memories he had with Darkness and tried to remember if there was anything strange about the girl during those times.

The first was when he met the girl, and how she was defending herself from a group of wolves. She seemed disappointed when Naruto saved her, but he had thought it was because he had interrupted her fight.

Then there was the Cabbage Hunt, and how Darkness had put herself into harm's way to protect a fallen adventurer. She had had been smiling the whole time.

Naruto had written it off as her trying to reassure the person she was saving, but that smile definitely seemed out of place now that he thought about it.

Then there was the events in the alleyways. It really seemed like Darkness was in trouble that time, having been corned and ganged up on by a group of thugs. But the things the delinquents had said were beginning to bug him now.

Was Darkness really the one who had deliberately picked a fight with them?

But then that would mean Darkness was nothing more than a masochist playing the role of a hero to hide her true nature from everyone.

Naruto refused to believe that. He could tell when a person really cared about protecting others.

Shaking his head in frustration, Naruto let out a sigh.

'Guess there's only one way to find out.'

As Naruto was lost in his own thoughts, Chris watched him with a small smile on her face.

"You're an experienced warrior on the outside, but you're still just a kid on the inside."

Chris mused to herself, pulling the blonde out of his thoughts.

"What?"

"Nothing, just talking to myself. I'm guessing you have your answer now?"

"Oh, yeah. Thanks Chris! I really owe you one!"

Naruto said with a beaming smile.

"Then how you treat me to a drink in return?"

Chris responded with a wink, earning a groan from the whiskered teen.

"Just kidding! I was just about to head out cause it's growing dark outside. See ya later, Naruto-San!"

Chris said while sticking her tongue out playfully and left.

Naruto sighed in relief. Thank goodness she was only pulling his leg. His wallet couldn't take any more hits. In fact, just ordering those celebratory drinks had put him in the red-zone.

"I wonder if my party members would mind if we took another day off tomorrow…"

* * *

 **The Next Morning…**

Naruto leaned against the entrance to Wiz's shop, looking outside for any possible customers. He learned that Wiz, unsurprisingly enough, was still in the negative zone. So they could use all the customers they could get.

While he was brainstorming ideas to increase their profits, he realized he didn't see Cecily at all yesterday. Not that that was entirely a bad thing. Though he hoped she wasn't getting into any trouble.

The last thing Naruto needed was for the girl to bring even more debt onto their party.

Leaving the priestess aside, Naruto was worried about Yunyun. He wanted to clear the little misunderstanding with Megumin and Kazuma as soon as possible, but it had been too late by the time he got back the night before and she didn't seem to be home in the morning as he was leaving for Wiz's shop.

Did she wake up before him? It wasn't that unlikely, as Yunyun seemed like the early-morning type.

"Oh well, guess I'll look for her later."

Naruto said with a sigh.

"Look for who later?"

Wiz asked. She was dusting off some of the merchandise when she heard the blonde speak to himself. He had been strangely quiet all morning, so she took the opportunity to try and figure out why.

"Remember that mage I said I wanted to introduce you to? Well things happened with Kazuma and Megumin and she took off when she misunderstood something. I haven't seen her since. What should I do…?"

Naruto said in a depressed manner, and a raincloud formed over his head when he realized that Yunyun probably hated him right now. Not only had he forgotten about her multiple times since bringing the girl to the town of beginners, but he even threw Cecily onto her on top of that.

It wouldn't be a surprise if the girl decided to go back home at this rate.

Wiz placed a hand on her lips and hummed in thought. After coming up with an answer, she smiled brightly.

"Just make it up to her! If you just be yourself, I'm sure everything will turn out alright!"

"Wiz…"

Naruto said and walked over to the girl. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he began to weep anime tears.

"You're such a good person…!"

"?"

Wiz tilted her head to the side in confusion, not entirely sure what the blonde was talking about.

* * *

After his shift was over, Naruto left Wiz's shop and ventured into town.

It was time he made it up to Yunyun!

But after checking the few places he thought she would be, such as the adventurer's guild, the local library, and inn, he found that the timid mage was nowhere to be found.

"Don't tell me she went home already!?"

Naruto said, an overwhelming sense of dread washing over him. He then took to the rooftops in the direction of a certain mansion. If he couldn't find Yunyun, maybe the person who better could!

—As Naruto neared the mansion's property, he noticed someone standing in front of the entrance gate.

Hiding behind the corner, Naruto poked his head out and was surprised to see that it was Yunyun.

'There she is! Wait… Why am hiding?'

Naruto shook his head and was about to come out of his hiding place when he overheard the mage mumbling to herself.

"No no no… That would be stupid! "Good morning! I was wondering If you had a moment to explain something to me?" Wait wait wait! That sounds too aggressive!"

Yunyun while shaking her head. Then she remembered that she was holding something.

"Oh! I brought some fruit! Feel free to help yourselves while we talked about what happened yesterday! Yes! That might actually work… But wait! What if they don't like the fruit I brought!? I knew I should have gotten those fancy chocolates I know Megumin likes!"

The Crimson Magic Clansman said and placed the basket of fruit onto the ground in front of the gate, along with a few other items.

"I guess I'll just have to go back and…!"

Yunyun turned and was about to walk back to town, but she was surprised to see Naruto standing in front of her.

"N-N-Naruto-San!?"

"Hey Yunyun… What're you doing here?"

Naruto asked with an awkward wave of his hand.

Yunyun was looking at the ground while fidgeting with her fingers nervously.

"I-I woke up early and came here to Kazuma-San's mansion to find out the truth about… Yesterday. But then I ran back and bout a gift, because it would be rude to show up uninvited without a gift right? Then I began to think that they wouldn't like the gift I brought, so I went back to the store and bought something else…"

The girl said and gestured to the various items neatly placed in front of the mansion's entrance gate. A fruit basket, some flowers, a lunch box, and… a pickaxe?

It was then Naruto realized what was going on here. The girl had been standing here, rehearsing what she was going to say to Kazuma and his party. But couldn't come up with a sufficient greeting.

"I couldn't make up my mind and ended up buying all these things. I really am hopeless…"

Yunyun finished with a sigh. Naruto was probably going to think she was a complete weirdo, and all because she couldn't make up her mind over such a trivial thing.

"I don't think you're hopeless, Yunyun."

Naruto said, and Yunyun looked up in surprise.

"I asked you to join my party and you came with me all the way to this town, and I haven't done a thing to thank you. In fact, I did the exact opposite! I forgot about you in the adventurer's guild and left you behind multiple times! I left dropped Cecily on you that one night, and then I didn't even make it up to afterwards!"

The blonde continued, his head lowered in shame.

"I'm the one that's hopeless…"

"…"

Yunyun wanted to cheer the boy up, but she hesitated. She wanted to say that Naruto didn't do anything wrong, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel a little lonely.

"But that ends right now! Is there anything I can do to make it up to you? If it's within my power, I'll do it! Because I don't want Yunyun to quit my party because of my stupidity!"

Naruto suddenly shouted, and Yunyun's eyes widened.

"Eh?"

"Anything you want! Just name it!"

"T-then…"

Yunyun said while poking her fingers together. Was it alright to ask? No, it would be an insult if she didn't ask for something.

"C-can we… Can we be f-f-friends?"

Yunyun finally managed to ask, and resisted the urge to . Her heart was racing like she had just ran a marathon!

"Huh? What're you talking about, Yunyun? We were friends the moment you joined my party."

Naruto said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and Yunyun's hands fell to her sides.

"Now then, what do you me to do? I wasn't lying when I said I would do anything! I'll carry you to the top of a mountain! I'll search a dangerous dungeon for secret treasure! I'll even follow your orders for an entire day! Ah, but please don't ask for money. Gama-Chan can't take anymore abuse… But I can give you a discount at a certain magic item-"

"Fufufu…!"

Naruto stopped his little rant when Yunyun suddenly started giggling. He scratched at his whisker marks and let out a few chuckles himself. Did he say something funny?

Yunyun hid her face and wiped a few tears from her eyes. Of course Naruto would say they were already friends, she was silly to think the blonde would think otherwise.

'Naruto-San really is kind…'

Taking a small breath, Yunyun mustered the courage to ask.

"I-if it's not too much to ask, I'll take Naruto-San's offer…"

* * *

 **A/N: I'm back! Dang, these past few weeks have been filled with HYPE!**

 **Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Jump Force, Halo Infinite, Elder Scrolls VI, and Pokemon on the Switch!**

 **Holy molly! It's time to start saving up!**

 **Oh, one more thing. In case anyone is confused about the aftermath of Naruto and Megumin's Explosion competition, it basically all comes down to this:**

 **Naruto planned to show off his stamina and power by using the two different Explosion spells and then a tailed beast ball. Knowing Megumin wouldn't accept the tailed beast ball to be allowed, he allowed her to be the winner of the competition. But the main part of the prank, like the prank with Aqua, was the aftermath. Megumin's reputation has improved to being a mage with the capabilities of destroying a mountain, even though it's not the case. Naruto manipulated Megumin's pride and made her take the credit.**

 **The result is Megumin's pride as an Explosion user has been shattered.**

 **See you all in the next one! ;)**


	33. A Take on this Would-Have-Been Party!

'Alright, it's time to put my new skills to the test! Boss Naruto, today is the day I surpass you!'

A certain delinquent adventurer thought to himself to solidify his resolve.

The young man left the alleyway he was hiding in and walked up to a beautiful young woman who was currently standing by herself.

"Hey miss, those are some nice pants. What's the drop rate?"

Smack!

The young man's strategy seemed to have failed, as his left cheek was now stinging painfully.

"Pervert!"

The girl spat before she walked off with a huff.

The youth sighed as he sported his aching face.

"What a bitch. I even complimented her ugly clothes. Oh well, guess my new pickup line needs some more polishing. But I really feel like there's an improvement!"

With that said, Axel's delinquent adventurer returned to the secluded alleyways.

* * *

 **Adventurer's Guild…**

Naruto and Yunyun were sitting at one of the tables in the Adventurer's Guild, at the table in the corner of the room to be precise.

'I hope Naruto-San doesn't mind sitting here… I kind of walked here without thinking since I always sit here. What if he's weirded out and thinks I have a strange habit?'

Yunyun thought as she struggled to meet the older blonde's gaze.

Naruto sat with his arms crossed, waiting patiently for the girl to say what she wanted. They had agreed to meet at the adventurer's guild so they could discuss what Yunyun wanted.

But for some reason, their conversation was stalled the moment they sat down.

The shinobi was beginning to grow impatient, but he didn't want to be rude since he owed Yunyun for dragging her all the way to Axel Town and forgetting about her a couple times.

Although, maybe it would hurt to give her a little push…

"So, what do you want to do today Yunyun? Did you want to go on another quest? Though I don't know where Dust and Cecily are…"

Come to think of it, not knowing where those two troublesome individuals was actually kind of scary. Who knows what kind of trouble they were getting into?

"Ah, actually… I was kind of thinking… Um…"

Yunyun started while poking her fingers together timidly.

This conversation was going nowhere. Maybe she needed a little more than a push…

"If you want, I can buy you lunch? Though I'm a little low on cash because of a certain someone…"

Naruto suggested before grimacing when he remembered just how deflated is poor wallet was. Stupid Aqua…

"N-no… That's okay… I-"

Yunyun stuttered, but Naruto went on to another suggestion before she could muster to say anything else.

"Oh, I know! We can prank Megumin! Although she's probably still sulking over the Explosion competition..."

"I actually wanted to ask you about that, but maybe later…"

"Maybe I could-"

"I want to do activities friends do together!"

Yunyun finally raised her voice to audible levels, causing the ninja to tilt his head in confusion.

"…Huh?"

When Naruto said he was willing to do anything to make it up to the girl, he really meant it. He was willing to go as far as following any outrageous orders. Like doing tedious house chores, or even take on an absurdly challenging quest by himself.

…Hang on, that last option sounded fun. Why didn't she ask for that?

"I see… To be honest, I don't really know what friends do when they hang out either. What do you think friends do together?"

Naruto asked, since the only time he ever hung out with his friends was that one-time Shikamaru and the others came over to play cards.

"W-well… I once read in a book that friends usually eat meals together while holding steady conversations about things like work, or l-love... M-maybe I can help Naruto-San with the bet?"

Yunyun explained with a slight blush on her face.

Truth be told, one of Yunyun's life goals was to talk about love affairs with a friend. Since Naruto made that bet with Aqua, Yunyun was going to use that as an excuse to finally have that kind of conversation.

"W-wait, you want to be my girlfriend!?"

Naruto blurted out in surprise, causing the younger girl's face to heat up as she could feel the stares throughout the guild.

"N-no! I only want to help with the bet!"

The Crimson Magic Clansman hastily denied.

"Eh? Oh, I understand now. You want to pretend to be my girlfriend so I can win the bet. That's nice of you to offer, but I want to win this bet fair and square!"

Naruto said and gave the girl a thumbs up.

"No! You don't understand at all!"

Yunyun, now on the verge of tears, said while frantically shaking her head.

—After Yunyun somehow managed to clear the misunderstanding, the shinobi nodded sagely.

"I guess it would make sense to ask a girl for advice about this kind of thing. I would have asked Wiz, but I heard from some Dust that she's never had a boyfriend and that asking her would only make her angry. Something about her 'getting to that age' or whatever that means."

Naruto said while tapping his chin in thought as he tried, and failed, to understand the hidden meaning behind the Dust's words.

There was also Luna, but she still seemed a little upset with him. Though not as mad as she had been the other day, Naruto just didn't want to risk making her angry again. Otherwise he could kiss those harder quests goodbye.

'I don't know who this Wiz person is, but I suddenly feel sorry for her…'

Yunyun thought with a sweatdrop as Naruto debated whether he should risk asking the shopkeeper for advice after all.

Coughing into her hand, Yunyun's expression grew excited.

"Now then, let's start with the obvious question! Does Naruto-San have anyone he likes?"

Yunyun seemed rather fired up for this conversation, and while it may be a little embarrassing to talk about this subject, Naruto was happy to see the little girl was having fun.

The extra help with the bet was also appreciated.

"Well, I wouldn't say I have someone I like… But there is a girl I'm kind of interested in? At first, I thought she was just a really kind person. But now I don't know what to think of her, because I just recently found out she's a little weird…"

Naruto said as he thought of Darkness and the event with the thugs in the secluded alleyway. There was definitely something off about Darkness' personality, but he knew she was someone who cared deeply for her comrades and he liked that. So there was that.

"Is that so? But if you like her, then it's okay if she's a little weird right? Everyone has their quirks, so you should see what happens!"

The normally shy mage said with an abnormal amount of energy. She was certainly enjoying this conversation.

"So you think I should ask her out to see what happens? You don't think that would be weird?"

Naruto asked, thinking that there would be more steps to this. But then again, how would he know?

"No, not yet! First you should try spending more time with this girl. Is she an adventurer here at the guild? If so, then you should invite her to go on a quest!"

Yunyun suggested while clasping her reddening cheeks. The thought of two adventurers getting to know one another during a quest, then falling in love in the process… Such a romantic scenario really pulled her heartstrings!

"Invite her on a quest, huh? She is an adventurer of the guild, but what about you guys? I'd feel bad about leaving my party members behind after we only just formed a party…"

Naruto said, only to be immediately waved off by Yunyun.

"That's okay, I don't mind waiting to go on another quest if it means I'm helping my first f-f-friend…"

Yunyun said while stuttering. It was still hard to believe she had finally made her first real friend.

"Really? Well, thanks Yunyun. Oh, would you look at that? She's here."

Naruto said and the two looked towards the guild's entrance to see Kazuma's party, save for one member, enter the guild.

Seeing as they were one member short, Naruto decided to ask if they wanted to merge parties today. That way he wouldn't have to leave to Yunyun behind again.

'Ah, so the girl was in Kazuma-San's party. But Megumin's not here, and Naruto-San's bet is with Aqua, so that leaves…'

Yunyun thought as she marked off the possible girls until her eyes fell on the final member of the party.

"Oh, you like Darkness-San!"

"Shh! Not so loud! What if people here you!?"

Naruto hissed, causing the girl to cover her mouth.

Aqua's eyes suddenly snapped to the corner of the guild and directly at Naruto.

"Ahah! I knew you would be there with that awkward mage!"

'A-awkward!?'

Yunyun thought as Aqua stomped towards their table.

"Hey, Yunyun's not that awkward!"

Naruto said while pointing at his party member defensively.

'Naruto-San didn't deny it!'

Yunyun thought and hid her teary face behind her hands.

"What do you want, Aqua? I still have three more days until the bet is over, ya know?"

Naruto asked, meeting the goddess face-to-face. He was a good five inches taller than her, so he had to incline his head down.

"I've come here to make a bargain."

Aqua said with a confident gleam in her eyes, earning strange looks from both Naruto and Yunyun.

"A bargain?"

"That's right! A certain hiki-NEET made me realize something yesterday. Naruto, you are a man who is helpless without my divine guidance! So here's my bargain, and you can take it as a blessing if you wish. So long as you agree to shower me with gifts and praise, the great me will accompany you on a date. Of course, this would mean the bet is no longer valid. But I'm willing to look past all of that immaturity."

Aqua said with a rather smug look on her face, seemingly proud of her proclamation. It was as if she had already won in her twisted view.

"…Hah?"

Naruto's jaw dropped as he listened to the nonsense that came out of Aqua's mouth. What was this girl saying? No, what was she thinking? Did she really expect him to back out of their bet just like that!?

Shaking his head, the shinobi looked past Aqua towards Kazuma. The boy merely shrugged as if to say: 'I didn't take part in this'.

"I refuse."

Naruto simply said and walked passed the smug goddess of water.

"Eh?"

Aqua blinked when she realized her offer had just been flatly rejected. She whirled around to see Naruto walking towards Kazuma and Darkness.

"Hey, do you guys want to go on a quest with me and Yunyun today? I don't know where Dust and Cecily are, and you guys seem to be missing a couple members too. Wanna combine parties today?"

Naruto asked without missing a beat.

'A quest with Naruto AND a compatible mage… That sounds promising.'

Kazuma thought to himself, and after receiving a nod of approval from Darkness, he gave Naruto a thumbs up.

"We are short on numbers today, so let's do it-"

"Waaaaait a second!"

Aqua's screechy voice interrupted as she rushed over to Kazuma.

"What do you mean you're short on numbers!? I'm here! We're only missing Megumin who sealed herself inside her room all day! Don't leave me behind! Waaahhh!"

Kazuma's expression turned bitter as the 'thing' he brought with him to this world clawed at his legs. In what world was _this_ a goddess? This pitiful creature whose only strong suits was healing and attracting undead?

"Don't worry, Aqua. We won't leave you behind."

Darkness said with a comforting smile, causing the sniffling girl to look up with teary eyes.

"D-Darkness!"

Aqua whaled and buried her face into the taller woman's bosom.

"But with that being said, we'll be a party of five. People usually don't go over four members because it makes splitting the reward more difficult. Especially with lower paying quests."

The crusader said as she comforted the crying girl on her chest by patting her head.

"That makes sense… When you have more party members, you have to split the reward more. Which means less payout for each member."

Kazuma repeated as he tried to think of a solution. Maybe they could just leave Aqua behind? It probably wouldn't take much to convince her to do something else.

"U-um… I can stay behind. I don't mind."

Yunyun offered, but Naruto shook his head.

"That's okay, Yunyun. It'll be fine as long as we take quest with a big reward, right?"

Naruto said with a foxlike grin. If they took a quest with a higher reward, then that would also mean they'd be taking on a harder quest! Like the quests that Luna had been keeping from him for some reason!

"O-okay…"

Yunyun lowered her head shyly.

This did not go unnoticed by Kazuma, who was grinding his teeth in jealousy.

Seriously, why did Naruto get to have such a cute mage on his team!? While his was-

"Wait just a darn minute!"

The sound of doors flinging open filled the room, and all eyes turned to the entrance of the guild to see the town's very own Explosion girl.

Naruto smirked. He was impressed to see Megumin recover from his prank so soon. She was a lot stronger than he initially thought.

"Hey, Megumin. I'm surprised you actually showed up toda-"

"Silence, you human cheat code!"

"H-human cheat code?"

Naruto glanced over at Kazuma for an explanation, but the teen adverted his gaze.

Kazuma, after chasing after Megumin back to the mansion and shut herself in her room, started making fun of Naruto in attempt to cheer her up. "Human cheat code" must have sounded funny to the little girl and seemed to have stuck.

"How foolish! Did you really think I wouldn't realize your plan?"

Megumin said, her eyes shining brightly as she smirked at the shinobi.

"What plan? Oh, you mean teaming up with Kazuma and Darkness today? Like I said earlier,

"Hey! You forgot about me again!"

Aqua complained, but was she ignored.

"Hah! I could care about who that man parties up with! I'm happy as long I get to fire my Explosion magic every day!"

Megumin said with a shrug.

Kazuma's eyebrow twitched. Maybe he should ask Naruto if he wanted to form a permanent party. He was getting sick and tired of the girls he was currently living with and how they treated him with so little respect.

"So? What's my plan then?"

Naruto said while rolling his eyes. This girl was such a child, there's no way she'd be able to comprehend the plan of a master prankster such as himself.

"I was thinking that it was rather strange that sch a high-level monster had showed up during our competition, and I noticed yesterday that you were wearing a strange pendant on you neck. So today, I went to Wiz's magic shop to investigate and-"

"Hey, Megumin! You should come with us on a quest today! We're going to go on a harder quest, so maybe we can have another competition to see who can blast away the most monsters with Explosion magic!"

Naruto said in a friendly, yet strained voice.

"Deal! But that Demon ability of yours is sealed!"

Megumin instantly replied without missing a beat.

"Then it's settled! Let's go pick out a tough one!"

Naruto said and was about to walk to the request board with the group when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned around to see Yunyun fidgeting in her seat.

"What's wrong?"

"U-um… On second thought, I think I'll stay behind after all."

Yunyun stuttered, causing Naruto to tilt his head in confusion.

"What? Why? If it's about the reward, then…"

"No, it's not that! Um… I thought I would find Dust-San and Cecily-San while you were gone. That way, when Naruto-San returns, we can all go on a quest together like last time!"

The timid mage said with a bright smile on her face, and when Naruto was about to say something she spoke again.

"That way, you won't have to worry about me and can go all out with Darkness-San! G-good luck, Naruto-San!"

Yunyun said and took off out of the adventurer's guild before the ninja could say anything.

"Yunyun…"

Naruto didn't know what to say. Not only did Yunyun help him with the bet, but now she was going to round up their missing party members. Wasn't he supposed to be making it up to her today?

"Naruto! I found a good one!"

"Good one my ass! Who would want to fight dangerous sounding monsters called "Death Crows"!?"

Aqua and Kazuma's voices could be heard from the bulletin board.

"Guh! I heard Death Crows are attracted to shiny objects… If only I had my armor…"

"Why do you look so disappointed!? You just want to be harassed by giant birds, don't you?"

This time it was Darkness, and Kazuma was swift with the retort.

"Don't worry so much, Kazuma. With Naruto's and my Explosion magic, a couple twenty-meter birds are nothing!"

"Why is it that your solution to every problem is to blow something up!? Also, did you say twenty meters!? That's terrifying!"

Finally, it was Megumin, who was immediately shot down by the now trembling Kazuma.

'…Looks like Kazuma has his hands full. Better lend him a hand. After all, we're going to be party members today.'

Naruto thought and began to make his way to the request board. He was definitely going to properly thank Yunyun later, but for now it was time to focus on the bet!

Only three days left!

* * *

 **A/N: Not much happened this chapter, but I thought I'd post an update since it's been awhile for this story.**

 **By the way, have any of you heard about the KonoSuba movie that was recently announced? HYPE!**


	34. Snow Sprites: The Harbingers of Death

"Welcome to the world between life and death, Satou Kazuma-San."

"Huh?"

Kazuma blinked as he felt a strong sense of déjà vu. Where did he hear those words again…? Oh, that's right! When he first met Aqua, she said those exact same words!

But the person sitting in front of him was not Aqua, which meant she was still in the land of the living.

The woman sitting in front of him had long white hair and a heart-shaped face with eyes that held a touch of sadness to them.

"I am the Goddess Eris. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you have died in your quest of liberating the world from the Demon King. I am truly sorry you had to go through so much hardship, Kazuma-San."

Eris said and lowered her head to show how sorry she felt.

'Eh? What's this? This doesn't seem like last time at all… This goddess is actually nice.'

Kazuma thought and looked around to see he was in the same pitch-black room as last time.

But wait… He died? How did he-

* * *

 **Earlier…**

"Snow Sprites…? We're hunting SNOW SPRITES!?"

Naruto's anger-filled voice echoed throughout the snow-covered landscape. He was wearing his adventuring gear for the first time since returning from thee Crimson Magic Village, which consisted of his black shirt, pants, and Jōnin vest. Meaning, he was ready for battle.

' **Naruto… I'm growing bored of all of these weaklings… You need to ditch these fools, and force that woman back at the guild to let you go on those difficult quests by yourself so I can let loose!'**

'I'm sorry, Kurama… But I need to obey the rules of this place if I want to make a difference in this world. We'll get those stronger opponents soon, I promise buddy.'

Naruto thought to his tailed beast, but he was on the same boat as the fox. As fun as it was hanging out with his new friends, his inner shinobi desired a challenge. But…

A little white ball of snow with a cartoonish face floated past the annoyed jinchuuriki and his immediate response was to flick it, which resulted in the Snow Sprite dissipating instantly.

Such a weak monster… What was the point of killing these things?

"Why are you complaining? Snow Sprites are easy to catch, and since slaying them shortens the number of days of winter they're worth a lot of money! Plus, if we keep a couple for ourselves, then we can add them to our drinks in the summer for a cold beverage!"

Aqua said as she chased a lone snow sprite with a net in her hands. Because of the colder temperatures, she was wearing a white coat over her usual clothes along with a white hat.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Aqua's right. I wonder why the other adventurers weren't fighting over this quest."

Kazuma said as he slayed his third Snow Sprite with ease. He was wearing his normal adventuring attire, with the addition of a warm hooded coat for the snow.

Regarding the quest, he figured might have something to do with a mix of the colder temperature, and the fact that most of the adventurers still had a lot of leftover money from the Dullahan reward.

But even still, Kazuma found it hard to believe such an easy and well-paid quest would stay on the request board for so long.

Oh well, more spoils for him.

Naruto turned to Darkness and saw the girl was shivering slightly.

Which was to be expected since she was wearing what Kazuma dubbed her "office-lady" outfit along with a short orange sweater over her blouse. She was clearly underdressed for the area they were in.

"H-hey, Darkness? If you're too cold, you can use my jacket-"

"No problem."

Darkness responded firmly, cutting her fellow blonde off mid-sentence.

"It's a little cold, but that in of itself is… *Huff*…*Huff*…!"

Darkness said with a minor blush on her face while letting out a couple ragged breaths.

"O-okay…?"

Naruto said while scratching at his whisker marks. Did that mean Darkness liked being cold? He assumed it was just another part of her weird quirk.

'I guess a pervert's body temperature matches their steamy thoughts…'

Kazuma thought while staring at his hopeless companion with a deadpanned expression.

"But I'm glad we took the Snow Sprite subjugation quest, I'll think you'll enjoy yourself Naruto."

Darkness turned to the shinobi and said, her ragged breathing now normal.

"Hey! Have we forgotten why we came here in the first place!? Let's see who can destroy more snow sprites with their Explosion magic Naruto!"

Megumin ranted when she couldn't take all the distractions any longer. She was wearing a black, skin-like suit and a fluffy red and white poncho with a hood that warmly covered her head.

'That's not why we came here at all… Why are you placing your pointless competition as the highest priority? We're in debt here, you know?'

Kazuma retorted, but he kept his thoughts to himself since he knew Megumin wouldn't be moved in the slightest. When it came to Explosion magic, that girl disregarded everything else.

Their debt included.

So, Kazuma decided that he would take no part in their childish competitions!

"Okay, I'll accept your challenge Megumin. Whoever kills the most Snow Sprites with Explosion magic is the winner. But let's make it a little more interesting, shall we? The winner get's the loser's share of the reward!"

Naruto declared while pointing at the little.

"I accept!"

Megumin excitedly said without a second thought, causing the shinobi's smirk to widen.

. . .

"Come on, Megumin! Show this self-proclaimed ninja why people call you "Explosion Girl"!"

Kazuma cheered for his party member at the top of his lungs.

"Wow, as expected of the one called _KazuTrash_. Have you no shame?"

Aqua said while staring at " _KazuTrash_ " as if he was what the name implied, which ticked Kazuma off to no ends.

"I don't want to hear that from you, you fake goddess! Now shut your trap and keep working so we can pay off _your_ debt!"

Kazuma snapped back, and the two began to bicker with one another.

"Leaving the noisy audience aside, let's get started! Of course, as the more experienced Explosion user, I'll be going first again."

Megumin said as in her mind she had to set an example for her kouhai in Explosion magic. Pointing her staff towards a decently sized crowd of Snow Sprites, she chanted the spell she spent her life memorizing.

Seeing as the girl was about to blow, Kazuma stopped arguing with Aqua and stepped behind Darkness for safety.

" **Explosion!"**

BOOM!

The large explosion completely evaporated the Snow Sprites, along with a chunk of the surrounding snow, and earth underneath that.

"You see that…? A _real_ Explosion…"

Megumin's muffled voice said as she laid face-down on the snow. THAT was an Explosion, not that cheat-filled what's-it-called bomb that Naruto used during the first competition.

An Explosion had to come from one's soul, with no outside help! Harnessed with one's mana, and refined through their own blood, sweat and tears! It had to be Explosion Magic! Otherwise the explosion was a fake!

That was the conclusion Megumin had come to while she was placing curses-Reviewing the results of the competition in her room.

Kazuma walked over to the mage and crouched down.

"You good?"

"Yes… I got eight of them… I leveled up too…"

Megumin mumbled as she felt she was on the brink of falling asleep due to the mana exhaustion. But she forced herself to stay awake because she had to witness another person's Explosion magic once more!

Naruto grinned as he watched Kazuma lift Megumin onto his back so she could watch. Despite her fire-ball personality, he knew she was just a kid. A kid that was in love with Explosion magic.

But that kid made fun of poor little Yunyun most of their childhood, so it was payback time.

" **Explosion!"**

Naruto shouted after chanting his spell and fired off the condensed ball of mana toward a newly formed group of Snow Sprites.

Boom!

Like last time, the explosion wasn't nearly as impressive as Megumin's Explosion magic. But it was still strong enough to shake the earth around them for a couple seconds.

Pulling out his adventurer's card, Naruto hummed in thought as he looked over the convenient part of the card that showed what you had recently slayed. Just under the One-Shot Bear he had killed the day before, he chuckled when he saw that he was only two Snow Sprites shy of Megumin's kill count.

"Amazing… I remember Megumin forcing Naruto to learn Explosion magic, but to think he's still able to stand after using it. He's not even a Crimson Magic Clansman…"

Darkness said when she saw that Naruto had no intention of falling over. She already found it impressive enough that she met a person(Megumin) that learned Explosion magic, let alone use it. But here was a human being who not only knew Explosion magic but could also use it without suffering mana exhaustion!

"Hehe… You think so?"

Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He didn't know why, but that compliment had really warmed him up. The cold weather didn't even phase him now!

"Hmph! Had I chosen the Arch Wizard job, I could have learned Explosion magic with ease! But that magic is far too crude for the elegant me!"

Aqua boasted as she stuffed another Snow Sprite into a glass bottle she had brought.

'With that sad excuse of an inelegance stat, Arch Wizard was out of the question. The head receptionist Onee-Chan said it herself.'

Kazuma thought as he stared at the hopeless Arch Priest of his party with pity. It was quite sad how she was able to show so much confidence when she had such pitiful intelligence and luck.

Ignoring Aqua's rambling, Naruto got into his stance again.

"If you thought that was impressive Darkness, then watch this!"

Taking aim at the poor Snow Sprites that were regrouping for a third time, he chanted his spell once more.

" **Explosion!"**

Boom!

The snow-covered field shook for a third time as the third Explosion shot eradicated the defenseless Snow Sprites.

Naruto let out a relieved sigh before he turned towards the shocked faces of Darkness and Aqua.

"How was that for impressive? I could shoot off a third one if I want, but I already killed more than

"WHAT!? That second one doesn't count! I won this match fair and square!"

Megumin shouted in denial from Kazuma's back, with the male cringing as his cargo's high-pitched voice was shouting right into his ear.

It seemed little miss Explosion maniac took the bait.

"Oh? Is that so? If I'm not mistaken, the rules of this match required that I only use Explosion magic. Which I did. You didn't say I couldn't fire it off twice, did you?"

Naruto asked while staring at the Crimson Demon with an innocent expression.

Megumin's ears turned red when she realized her mistake. She didn't specify the rules, so Naruto took advantage of her excitement for a rematch!

She'd been duped! Again!

Naruto turned towards Darkness to see her reaction, but he had to take a step back when she was suddenly in his face. He could feel her warm, ragged breaths up close.

"Naruto, that was amazing! To think that you could use a weaker version of Megumn's Explosion magic! Twice! If you ever need a partner to test the strength of your magic, then just say the word! No, I insist you ask me! As soon as you want!"

"Eh!?"

Was she asking him to use Explosion magic on her!?

Feeling a little overwhelmed, Naruto took a second step back. But Darkness stepped forward, her wide blue eyes staring into his own expectantly.

"I don't know how I'd feel about using Explosion magic on a friend-"

"I insist."

Darkness said in a more serious tone. One that left little room for refusal.

Kazuma sighed. He had a feeling this was going to bee the conclusion. But Naruto sure was a crafty one. He fit in quite well with these misfits.

Maybe he'd try switching parties with the guy? He got along with Dust, since they were drinking pals that both shared the pain of being in a party with _those_ three. That Cecily person was just like another Aqua, but Kazuma felt he could handle that. Then there was Yunyun…

Yeah, switching parties sounded really nice right now. Besides, his problem children would be safer in Naruto's hands than his own.

"Hey, I don't like the look you have on your face. Something about that grin is pissing me off."

Megumin said when she noticed Kazuma's pleasant smile.

"You must be mistaken. I think nothing but the safety of my party members."

Kazuma said after straightening his face and doing all he could to avoid the girl's piercing gaze.

' **Brat, get ready. I can sense strong negative emotions coming this way.'**

Kurama suddenly warned.

'Huh? What do you mean?'

Naruto asked but before he could get his answer, Darkness suddenly shouted.

"It's here!"

Darkness said and pointed passed the shinobi and off into the distance.

"What's here?"

Kazuma asked, and a grave feeling washed over him when he saw an ominous haze making its way down the mountain. It almost looked like an avalanche, but the lack of sound said otherwise.

Naruto turned around as well, and he could feel a strong killing intent at the center of the haze.

Something was coming, and it was strong.

"Kazuma, Naruto, this is why adventurers don't take the Snow Sprite Subjugation quest."

Aqua said, and seeing as she had both of their attention, she continued.

"He is the master of the Snow Sprites, and us eliminating them has summoned him."

"The Winter Shogun!"

Darkness finished as she drew her broad sword, earning a pout from the goddess for getting her spotlight taken.

The haze washed over them, and the monster became visible.

The term 'monster' seemed inappropriate, because the Winter Shogun looked just like a samurai. It was wearing samurai armor that looked like it was made of pure ice, and a sword was holstered to its side.

Even though it was wearing a helmet, they could tell it was furious by the aura it was giving off.

"How exciting… The Winter Shogun is a high bounty target on par with a Demon King Army General!"

Darkness said as she gripped her sword in anticipation.

'The Winter Shogun, huh? Perfect…'

Naruto thought and pulled out a kunai from his holster. This was going to be his hardest fight yet, and he sure as hell was about to enjoy it!

"Kazuma, you already got to fight the Dullahan, so stay back! I call dibs!"

"Gladly!"

Kazuma said and carried Megumin over to Aqua, who was fumbling with her jars that contained the Snow Sprites she had captured. You didn't have to tell him twice to stay back in a fight he stood zero chance in.

"Sorry Darkness, but since you don't have your armor you should probably-"

Naruto began to tell Darkness to fall back with the others, but he stopped midsentence when he saw the state the girl was in.

Darkness had a heavy blush on her face and was breathing heavily. It look like she had just run a marathon.

"H-hey, are you oka-"

"No! Of course I'm not okay! This monster is about to capture me and use his position as Shogun to have his way with me!"

Darkness shouted, catching the ninja flatfooted.

…What?

"I'll resist him at first, but his strength will likely surpass my own and I'll be shamed…! *Huff!* *Huff!*"

Darkness said with a crazed grin on her face, her ragged breath growing deeper with ever word that came out of her mouth.

Naruto dropped the kunai to the ground as he stared at Darkness with a twitching eye.

Where was all this nonsense coming from? No, what Naruto wanted to know was why she was saying it all with a smile on her face!

The monster was going to have its way with her!? Why the hell did she think that!?

Then it hit him. Suddenly, Naruto realized the true meaning behind Kazuma and Dust's warnings.

It was true that Darkness was a little weird, and he was willing to accept that. But she was beyond that. Just now, she looked like she was looking forward to being molested by a monster.

Like Aqua, this girl was hopeless.

"Naruto! Darkness! The Winter Shogun is kind! So if we prostrate ourselves and beg for forgiveness, he'll spare us!"

Aqua explained as she freed all the Snow Sprites she had captured, then proceeded to prostrate herself in the snow.

Which was surprising in of itself considering the bluenette's personality. With her twisted sense of pride, one would never belief she would bow to anyone. Much less a monster.

"Hell no! There's no way I'm letting a strong monster like this get away!"

Naruto declined and picked up his kunai from the ground before he rushed the Winter Shogun. He also needed to blow off some steam right now, so there was that too.

Letting out a battle cry, Naruto stabbed with his kunai with the intent to pierce its armor. But to his surprise, the knife was harmlessly deflected off the monster's armor. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought the armor was made of diamonds instead of ice.

But diamonds weren't unbreakable, and this ice armor wasn't an exception.

The Winter Shogun grabbed the hilt of his sword and flicked its wrist, and a clicking sound followed after it.

Naruto snapped his head back just in time to avoid getting decapitated, and even then, a few strands of his hair were cut off. As expected of a monster Samurai in its name, it's draw was fast!

"But not fast enough!"

Naruto said and channeled wind chakra into his knife, making it glow a gleaming blue. If he wanted to pierce that thing's armor, he was gonna need more piercing power.

Circling around the Winter Shogun in a blur of speed, Naruto moved to slash its armor.

It seemed the monster had yet to recognize him as a threat do to his previous attack failing, as it turned to face him but didn't even bother to block the incoming attack. Big mistake!

The wind enhanced kunai slashed right through the Winter Shogun's armor, and it seemed surprised at the turn of events.

Seeing as the fight was slowly turning in Naruto's favor, Aqua scrambled to re-capture the Snow Sprites she had released.

"I forgot Naruto was strong! Come back Snow Sprites! I need you to cool my drinks~!"

Kazuma sweatdropped at Aqua's antics. What was that girl talking about shame earlier?

But Naruto really was strong. It made him angry when he thought he could have been like that too, had he not chosen that _thing_ that was currently chasing after Snow Sprites.

"WAHHH! Kazuma-San! Save me! It's the Abominable Snowman!"

Aqua suddenly screamed, and Kazuma turned to see her running towards him with tears in her eyes.

"What are you… What is that!?"

Kazuma's eyes widened when he saw a white, hairy beast step out of the nearby forest. Of course a another strong monster had to show up right now! With Darkness and Naruto busy with the winter Shogun, and Megumin having already used her Explosion magic today, they were defenseless!

His first instinct was to run towards Naruto and beg him to use that glowy thing, but he stopped after his first couple steps and Aqua zoomed right past him.

'Wait… If I run now, then I'll just be relying on Naruto and his cheat-like ability again. This is my story! If I want to become stronger like all those heroes in manga and anime, then I have to challenge impossible odds!'

With a newly determined mindset, Kazuma placed the still possum-playing Megumin onto the snow and turned around-

-to come face to face with the Abominable Snowman.

. . .

" **GROOOAHHH!"**

"Gyahhh!"

* * *

"AHHH! That's right!

Kazuma suddenly shouted and jumped to his feet, startling the white-haired goddess.

"Oh, sorry Eris-Sama… I just remembered how I died. Stupid useless Aqua, leaving me behind to deal with that strong monster…"

"Y-yes… Thank you for taking care of my senpai."

Eris said with a bitter-sweet smile on her face.

"Damn straight I took care of her! And what do I get in return? Lip! Debt! Now death!"

Kazuma said before plopping back onto his chair and crossing his arms.

"So, with your quest resulting in failure, I assume you'll wish to be reincarnated back to Japan?"

Eris asked, as that was generally the first thing the people asked for when they died in that world. And seeing as how Kazuma was acting while talking about his experiences, it seemed like his obvious choice.

"Yes please! Honestly, that world was nothing but trouble! First I had to work my butt off just to put food on my plate! But then I started running into troublemakers, one after another! A mage that can only use one spell a day, a loud-mouthed self-proclaimed ninja who has a cheat-like abilities, and then a masochistic knight who can't swing a sword to save her life!"

Kazuma took a couple seconds to regain his breath. He felt bad about ranting in front of this kind goddess, but he felt like she was the only one who would listen to his troubles and take him seriously.

He looked up at Eris to see her frowning sadly, and that was when he realized that somewhere during his rant, he had begun to cry.

"H-huh? T-that's weird…"

After giving the boy a couple seconds to collect himself, Eris smiled softly.

"Despite all those hardships, you came to love that world and everyone in it. Deep down, you are a kind person Kazuma-San…"

"Eris-Sama…"

Kazuma said and looked down at his feet. It seemed Eris saw right though him, huh? As expected of a real goddess.

It was true, he had come to love that Town of Beginners. The construction workers, the adventurer's guild, the rowdy adventurer's, the head receptionist Onee-San with the breast that looked like they would pop out at any given moment, Wiz's Faulty magic shop, Dust, Darkness, Megumin, Naruto, and the Succubus shop… God, he was going to miss that Succubus shop.

If he had one regret, it was not introducing Naruto to that shop.

"Now then, Kazuma-San. Are you ready to be reincarnated?"

Eris asked when she saw the look of content on the boy's face.

"Yes, Eris-Sama. But if I may be so bold to ask, I'd like to be a boy again."

"I think I can managed that. Now then, shall we-"

"Oh, and it it's possible, I wanna be born into a rich family!"

"I-I don't think I can-"

"Oh! Oh! Oh! And I and want a cute little sister that'll call me 'Onii-Chan'!"

"…"

Eris fell silent and strained a smile as Kazuma continued to get carried away with his requests. Why couldn't all the humans that died be easy to send off?

"Okay, I think that will do. I'm ready to go now Eris-Sama."

Kazuma said with a short nod. He was going to miss this messed up fantasy world, but he preferred a much safer life in Japan.

Eris nodded and pulled out some papers from nowhere in particular.

"Well then, good luck in your next lif-"

" _KAZUMA! KAZUMA, CAN YOU HEAR ME?"_

A certain Arch Priest's screechy voice suddenly rang out from above them.

"Aqua-Senpai!?"

Eris panicked when she heard her fellow goddess.

'That Aqua… Even when I'm about to be reborn, she still found a way to break the mood.'

Kazuma thought with a twitching eyebrow.

"Shadup! I'm not going back! Send everyone my regards!"

. . .

Just as he thought that finally shut the girl up, Aqua came back at full throttle.

" _HAH!? WHAT NONSENSE ARE YOU SPOUTING!? LOOK, I HEALED YOUR BODY SO YOU CAN COME BACK NOW! ERIS SHOULD BE THERE, RIGHT? JUST TELL HER TO OPEN THE GATE!"_

"A-Aqua-Senpai, you know that it's against the rules…"

Eris said in a meek tone.

"Hey, Aqua! Eris-Sama said that it's against the rules to send me back. So there you have it! Bye!"

Kazuma said and he was about to ask Eris to send him to his new life, but it seemed Aqua wasn't having it.

" _IS THAT GIRL REALLY REFUSING A REQUEST FROM HER SENPAI? HOW SAD. SCREW THE RULES! JUST GET BACK HERE ALREADY YOU UNGREATFUL NEET!"_

Is that really how a goddess should be talking about the rules of heaven?

"ALSO, DON'T BE FOOLED BY HER APPEARANCE! ERIS PADS HER CHEST!"

Kazuma's eyes immediately shot over to Eris' chest. Her breasts were quite big… Maybe not quite as big as Darkness or Wiz, but they were still up there. Were they really padded?

"A-Aqua-Senpai!"

Eris panicked as she moved to hide her chest from Kazuma's leering eyes, confirming the boy's suspicions.

"Seriously!?"

" _NOW THAT YOU KNOW-H-HEY, MEGUMIN! STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO KAZUMA'S BODY!? STOP WRITING THAT! HEY! Naruto TOO!? I'M SORRY KAZUMA, I CAN'T STOP THEM!"_

Hearing Aqua's panicky voice, Kazuma begin to sweat.

"Oi, what are you guys doing with my body!? Respect the dead you two! Grrr… Alright fine! I'll come back!"

Kazuma growled and turned to Eris, who looked like she was on the verge of crying.

"Alright, Eris-Sama. I changed my mind! There's still a couple of idiots I need to take care of before I croak!"

"O-okay, fine. I understand."

Eris said, regaining her composer. She really was the epitome of what Kazuma thought a goddess should act like. How dare that Aqua pick on this perfect being.

"I'll open the gate this one time, but only because Aqua-Senpai requested it. It'll be our little secret."

Eris said with a wink, and Kazuma felt his heart flutter.

What was this feeling…? It was something that he had been missing during his adventurers in the fantasy world.

'Of course… How could be so stupid!? This is the presence of a heroine!'

Just as Kazuma had that thought, a familiar beam of light projected over his body and he began to float upward.

"E-Eris-Sama! Before I go, can I ask you one thing?"

"Hm? Sure, go ahead."

"What's your type?"

Kazuma eagerly asked, and the goddess's eyes widened a little.

"Hm… I guess someone who is kind…"

Eris pondered in thought as the boy continued to go higher and higher.

Kazuma's smile grew wide. She had already called him a kind person, so maybe he a chance-

"Oh, and hardworking… Like your friend, Naruto."

Eris finished while sticking her tongue out, instantly shattering the boy's hopes.

"Damn it all!"

And so, Kazuma returned to the world of the living.

* * *

 **Interface: A Setup Date for this Loli Succubus…**

Dust walked up to a certain café he'd been frequenting lately. Despite the sign on the entrance door saying 'closed', he walked right inside without giving so much as a thought.

"Hey, loli-succubus! Are you here? I got a proposition for you!"

"Shh! I told you to stop calling me that! What if people

A cute girl with short whitish-pinkish hair and a petite figure came rushing to the front of the store.

"Sorry, I'll try to refrain from doing that. Anyways, about that that proposition… I need your help again."

Dust said while offering a mock apologetic wave, earning a pout from the little girl.

"Why would I help you after what happened with that Mitsurugi guy? I thought we were going to die when he found out I was a Succubus! I can't believe I let you talk me into helping you!"

The 'loli succubus' said with a heavy sigh.

"Hey, it was good practice for your succubus skills. But never mind that, because this will be even better practice! I need you to seduce someone for me."

Dust suddenly said, brushing the fact that he almost got them both killed in his last scheme like it had nothing to do with their current situation.

The girl balked.

"Wha-Just because I'm a succubus, doesn't mean I just go around and seduce random men-"

"His name is Naruto and I'll need you to-"

"I'll do it."

Dust blinked at the sudden turn of events. Well that was easy. To think he had come up with various other ways of getting the girl to agree to his plan too…

But he thought it was just the receptionist succubus that was obsessed with the guy… Was actually all of them?

Lucky bastard.

"Okay, good. But we gotta come up with a name for you, cause the boss doesn't know what the term 'loli' means for some reason…"

"It's actually quite troublesome for a devil to reveal their name…"

The young succubus said with sweatdrop.

"Like a great man I know once said: 'You're much cuter when you're silent'. By the way, that's referring to you."

"W-well, compliments won't get you anywhere…!"

The petite girl said while clasping her rosy cheeks and stole glances at his direction. It seemed she mistook that phrase as a sole compliment to her looks.

Dust sighed. This girl was just too easy, all it took was one praise and she was hooked. Too bad she wasn't his type at all. He was more into girls like the receptionist succubus, not skinny girls with wash boards for chest like this loli-succubus.

But oh well, this girl will prove useful in his plan.

Now he just had to wait for Naruto to come home.

* * *

 **A/N: Oof… It's been awhile, so here's a longer than usual chapter of Shinobi's Take. For those that are following my other story, I'll get to finishing the next chapter for The Fox Scroll soon.**

 **Alright folks, it's time to come up with some names since the loli-succubus and receptionist succubus don't have names in the Konosuba light novel OR the anime!**

 **So I ask you: What do you think their names should be?**

 **Until next time!**


	35. A Blind Date for this Nervous Shinobi

**A/N: Merry Christmas/New Year!**

* * *

Naruto sighed as he thought about the conclusion of Snow Sprites quest, which hadn't gone as he'd planned at all. Not only had the Winter Shogun escaped while he was taking care of the new monster, but Kazuma had shut himself in his mansion and refused to go on anymore quests the moment they returned.

Aqua, having been the one that revived Kazuma, had tried taunting the guy in her usual manner. But she was quickly shut down after Kazuma said he would only come out if she switched places with Eris. The water goddess(self-proclaimed) then stormed off while shouting angrily.

Megumin then made an attempt to be the voice of reason by saying Kazuma was being overly dramatic, which was surprisingly enough to get the boy to open the door slightly. But only Kazuma's arm stuck out as he used "Steal" on Megumin and successfully stole the girl's panties before closing the door again.

While the Crimson Magic Clansman desperately tried to pry the door open, it was then Naruto decided to go back to the adventurer's guild.

As for Darkness…

"What's wrong Naruto-San? Did things not go well with Darkness-San?"

Yunyun asked with a worried expression. She and Naruto were sitting at their usual table in the far corner of the guild, but the blonde had been silent for quite some time.

"I don't want to talk about it…"

Naruto groaned and placed his forehead on the table dejectedly.

"Th-that bad…?"

Yunyun struggled to come up with some words of encouragement, but she couldn't come up with anything because it was the first time she had ever tried comforting a friend. She had to say something, but what if she made it worse?

"Maybe I should just give up on this stupid bet… I was stupid to think I could get a girlfriend so easily."

Naruto mumbled while playing with the straw in his drink. He could put up with Aqua and her unreasonable demands. After all, he was used to it by now. The only thing that bothered him was that he would be going back on what he claimed in front of everyone…

"Y-you can't give up now! You still have two days left to woo Darkness-San! Don't worry, I'll help you all the way!"

Yunyun said while standing up from her seat to emphasize her support.

Naruto looked up from his drink and stared at his party member with a half-baked smile. He appreciated what Yunyun was trying to do, but Darkness was just too much for him.

'Yunyun's such a nice kid… Guess I'll have to explain things to her.'

With that thought, Naruto sat up straight and crossed his arms in a mature manner.

"Listen, Yunyun… Darkness is hopeless. She's a lost cause. That girl has nothing but weird thoughts going on in her head."

"Eh? But I thought Naruto-San said Darkness-San was a kind and noble Crusader?"

Yunyun said and tilted her head to the side, but something suddenly caught her attention and her eyes went wide.

"Darkness is a nice person, but don't let that fool you. Inside that armor is a beast that's waiting to be unleashed! Dust and Kazuma both warned me too. I should have listened to them…"

Naruto said and grabbed his carbonated drink before downing it in one go. Slamming it back on the table, he continued to rant about Darkness' personality.

Yunyun frantically tried to grab the boy's attention, but she found her party member was too lost in his rant to notice.

"N-Naru…!"

"That girl says she goes on daily patrols around the town, but she's actually just looking for trouble! She wouldn't waste a second to jump head first into danger! I can't believe I thought for a second that-"

"Naruto-San!"

Yunyun raised her voice enough to snap the shinobi's train of thought.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the girl's sudden interruption. But then he saw her flustered expression, and how she was looking behind him nervously…

'Uh oh…'

Naruto thought and turned around to find Darkness staring at him, red-faced while griping the hems of her skirt tightly.

"Ah…"

"S-so you two bad mouth me behind my back…"

"N-no, wait Darkness! It's not like that-"

"You probably call me slut too! Oh, and a woman whose only good point is her voluptuous figure! I bet you talk about my future, how I'll be married to a bum who will make me go out and sell my body to make beer money!"

"…" x2

Naruto and Yunyun both stared at Darkness with bitter expressions as the woman continued to ramble about her 'future' with heavy breathing.

"…I didn't think Darkness-San was a good match for you anyway, Naruto-San."

Yunyun finally said, with Naruto nodding his head in agreement.

Darkness gasped.

"Eh? You were trying to seduce me!? I knew you had a devious side to you, Naruto!"

"No! Who would seduce a pervert like you!"

Naruto blurted out without thinking.

"Guh! How could you say something like that to me… In front of all these people! Although this kind of play isn't too bad…"

Darkness hugged her form and looked away from the flustered shinobi shyly.

"What play!? Are you insane?"

Deciding enough was enough, Naruto got up from his seat and left while trying his best to ignore the amused crowd that was watching them.

Not wanting to be left behind, Yunyun bowed apologetically and scurried after Naruto.

In the midst of her delusions, Darkness glanced at Naruto's retreating form.

'I see… That man has potential too.'

* * *

"How surprising… I didn't think Darkness-San was that kind of person."

Yunyun said as she and Naruto walked along the busy streets of Axel.

"Yup… Me neither."

Naruto agreed, his arms rested behind his head. It wasn't like he hated Darkness now that he knew she was an M, that wasn't it at all. He just didn't think he'd be able to handle that… Dark side of her personality. But he'd still be friends with her.

Putting her quirk aside, Darkness was still a nice person.

"S-so, what now?"

Yunyun asked. Seeing as Darkness was no longer an option, that meant Naruto had to find another girl to go after. But with only two full days left in the week…

"We go on a quest!"

Naruto said and ran over to a nearby alleyway and peered inside.

"Eh? B-but the deadline… What are you doing, Naruto-San?"

Yunyun questioned as she watched her party member move from alleyway to alleyway.

"I'm looking for Dust… Knowing that guy, he'll be hiding in one of these dark places. Do you know where Cecily is?"

Naruto said without looking back. The bet wasn't exactly something he could rush, and while he had two days left to get a girlfriend, he figured it would all work out in the end. So for now, it was quest time!

Yunyun sweatdropped.

"I don't think you're going to find that failure by just looking in random-"

"There you are, Dust!"

"Eh? What are you doing here, Boss?"

"He actually found him!?"

Yunyun's eyes bulged out of her skull as she watched Naruto pull Dust out of an alleyway. She had been searching all day yesterday, and that blasted delinquent was just sitting in such a place!?

"Come on, Dust! We're going on a quest today. I think you guys are ready, so let's go on a really hard quest now! I want to fight the Winter Shogun for real this time!"

Naruto said with an eager smile as he dragged his fellow blonde towards the staggered mage of their party.

'Not only did I fail to help Naruto-San with Darkness-San, but I couldn't even help him find Dust-San…'

Yunyun thought and hung her head down dejectedly.

"The Winter Shogun…!? A-actually, I was just looking for you Boss."

Dust suddenly said, causing the whiskered teen to stop and look back at him.

"What's up?"

"You see… I think I found the perfect candidate for your bet."

Dust whispered into Naruto's ear so Yunyun couldn't hear.

"Really? Who is she?"

"She's a real cutie, just the way you like em. Best part about this, she's interested in you too. I set up a time and place for you two to meet today. That's why I was looking for you."

While setting Naruto up with that girl was part of Dust's plan, it was only half. The other half involved getting some alone time with the cute Yunyun while their leader was away.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to meet this person… Though I'm not sure if-"

Naruto started while scratching his whisker marks awkwardly, but the delinquent adventurer started ushering him forward.

"That's the spirit, Boss! Now get going! I told her to look for you at that café at the end of the street. Don't keep her waiting!"

Dust said with a wink and pointed towards a certain building.

"Eh? Now? But what about Yunyun…"

Naruto said while looking back at the girl who seemed to be lost in thought. He didn't want to leave her behind again…

"Oh, don't you worry about Yunyun! I'll keep her company while you go and enjoy yourself!"

Dust said, causing the Crimson Demon in question to snap out of her depression.

"Huh?"

Hearing her name, Yunyun couldn't help but get a bad feeling. What did she miss and why did she feel the urge to run?

"Okay, I guess that's fine. Hey, do me a favor and look for Cecily. I want to hunt down the Winter Shogun after this."

Naruto said, and after sending Yunyun a farewell wave, he took off towards the café.

"Y-you want to… Of course! Oh, and her name is Lynn!"

Dust shouted, and upon seeing his boss' thumbs up, he turned back to the still very confused Yunyun and grinned.

"Now then, shall we go find that crazy priest? It might take us all day to find her though. But don't worry, I'll keep you company the whole way!"

"…Huh?"

* * *

Naruto walked inside the café and looked around. He felt nervous meeting someone in this fashion, but Dust said this girl was interested in him, so it wouldn't hurt to at least meet her.

…Right?

'I can't believe Dust went out of his way to help me like this, and with only two days left in the bet too… I wonder what she's like?'

He thought and took a seat towards the back of the room. He'd gotten used to picking secluded seating areas away from people for Yunyun's sake.

' **You do realize where you're at, right?'**

Kurama suddenly asked.

'What are you…'

Naruto stopped mid-thought when he heard a familiar voice.

"Hello, sir. What can I get for you?"

"!"

Naruto stiffened when a familiar busty waitress walked up to him, and in turn, realized he was sitting inside the café that was secretly run by succubi.

'How did I not notice this!? No wait, why didn't you warn me Kurama!?'

' **Obviously, because I'm bored out of my mind in here. This place is quite amusing, especially when I-'**

'I swear to god, if you flare your chakra I will come in there myself and kick your ass!'

' **That's sounds promising. Excuse me for one second.'**

'No!'

Before the fox could do something stupid, Naruto placed a hand on his gut and twisted the seal shut.

With Kurama out of the way, Naruto looked back up at the clearly interested waitress and chuckled.

"H-hey… You're not going to… attack me or anything, right?"

"Fufufu… Now why would I do such a thing? Activities like that are not done in front of crowds. That is, unless you're into that sort of play?"

The succubus in disguise said with a wink.

Naruto was already feeling a little hot under the collar, so he looked down at his table and gulped.

'Keep it together, Uzumaki! Just state your business and she'll (hopefully) go away!'

"Um… I'm just waiting for someone."

"I see. Shall I bring you some drinks?"

"Y-yes, thank you…"

Why was talking with this lady so hard!? Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she was getting closer to him as they spoke, to the point where her chest was basically touching the side of his face. He could feel her warmth through the thin layer of cloth…

But just as Naruto's mind was beginning to wander, he felt another presence moving towards him. Only this presence was that of a human, which was enough to snap the shinobi back to his senses.

"Hey, mind if I take a seat?"

A girl with brown hair tied in a ponytail and green eyes said as she pulled out the chair opposite to Naruto, all while looking at the waitress with a calculating eye.

The succubus stepped away from Naruto and smiled.

"It seems your company has arrived, sir. I shall go and get your drinks."

As the waitress disappeared to the back if the store, Naruto let out a breath of relief.

"Th-thanks… You saved me back there."

Naruto said as the girl took the seat opposite of him. But after getting a good look at her, his eyes widened in recognition.

"Hey, you're Dust's party member! What was your name again… Rin?"

"It's Lynn. But that waitress was acting rather strange. Do you know her personally?"

Lynn asked while looking across the room to find that the pink haired waitress was in fact stealing glances in their direction.

Naruto sweatdropped. His only interactions with the waitress succubus was when he had come here with Jiraiya, and the time the succubus had snuck into his inn room… But he couldn't exactly tell her that out of the blue.

"I don't really know her, but that waitress is weird isn't she? Hahaha…"

"Is that so…? Well anyways, that's not why I'm here. Ah, thank you."

Lynn thanked the waitress when the woman left a couple of drinks at their table and left.

'Oh yeah… Dust said the person's name was Lynn. Does that mean this girl here is interested in me?'

Naruto thought as he watched Lynn take a sip of her cold beverage. With her thin frame and childish face, she looked a little younger than him. But Naruto remembered Dust mentioning his party members all being the same age as him. That would put Lynn at sixteen, which was surprising to Naruto.

"You're older than you look."

"!"

Choking on her drink, Lynn shot Naruto a heated glare.

"Ah, sorry. I meant that you're more mature than you look… as a compliment! It was a compliment! I swear! Please stop chanting that spell!"

—Having successfully convinced the girl not to fire off a magic spell in the café, Naruto let out a heavy sigh.

"Honestly… Who says stuff like that out of nowhere? No wonder Dust follows you so loyally."

"Please don't compare me to that guy…"

In a way, he and Dust were in fact similar. But to hear it from other people was painful.

"Anyways, back to what I came here for. I just wanted to make sure Dust wasn't causing you too much trouble. If he's too much for you to handle, then you can always send it back to us. As troublesome as that fellow is, he's still our party member."

'She just called him 'it', didn't she?'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop. According to Luna and the other guild staff, Lynn was supposedly Dust's caretaker. The way they had explained it sort of reminded him of Kazuma and his party members.

"Dust isn't that bad so long as you keep an eye on him. So I'm still sticking to what I said to you before, and I won't abandon Dust just because he's a little troublesome."

The shinobi said with a firm nod.

That's right. He still believed Dust could be changed wit a little guidance, and Naruto would be the one to give him that push.

Lynn smiled. That was all she really needed to hear. It was just nice to get a confirmation was all. Dust may be human trash, but he was human trash that she felt oddly responsible for. And it seemed this Naruto person really wasn't a bad person after all.

"You know, I'm beginning to think all those rumors about how you're a lady-killer and a lolicon are all just a bunch of baloney."

"A loli-what now?"

Naruto asked with his head tilted to the side, surprising Lynn.

"Y-you know, someone who-"

"Umm… Excuse me."

Naruto and Lynn looked to their side when a young girl with short white hair and dark pink eyes pulled them out of their conversation.

"Hello there, do you need something?"

Lynn asked the girl with an awkward smile.

"Y-yes… I'm here to meet with Naruto-Sama… My name is Lynn…"

The girl mumbled while poking her fingers together, all the while looking at Naruto shyly.

'This little girl is the Lynn that Dust was talking about!? Is he trying to get me arrested!?'

Naruto thought when he noticed Lynn staring at him. She wasn't glaring. In fact, there wasn't a shred of emotion on her face.

'Uh oh… She clearly misunderstood something here, didn't she?'

But before Naruto could say anything, the first Lynn stood up from her chair.

"Oh, then I must be intruding. Here, have a seat."

She said while gesturing the little girl to her seat with a sweet smile.

"W-wait… This isn't…"

Naruto tried, but clamped his mouth shut when the girl looked at him. Years of man-killing experience went down the drain when he saw the passive smile she was giving him.

"I trust you will treat this girl kindly, Naruto-San?"

"Y-yes!"

"Good. Then I will be taking off. My party just found a temporary member and we'll be going on a quest today."

With that said, Lynn walked out of the café.

When he felt that her presence was gone, Naruto let go of his breath. He could face off against man-eating monsters, demons, or even demi-gods, but an angry woman was something that would forever be beyond him.

"S-so, um… How are you feeling today, Naruto-Sama?"

Oh, right. Onto the next challenge.

Naruto looked at the new girl sitting in front of him and had to fight back the urge to sigh. Dealing with all these girls back to back was exhausting.

Now that he got a closer look at the girl, he had to admit she was kind of cute. But in the same way he thought Yunyun was cute of course, as they seemed to be about the same age. She was wearing a casual village girl's attire, which consisted of a simple green strapped dress coupled with a while blouse.

"Dust didn't force you to do anything, did he? Cause if he did, you can be rest assured that I'll beat the crap out of him."

Naruto had to make sure Dust wasn't forcing this girl to meet with him, she was just a young girl after all.

"N-no! I'm here on my own accord! In fact, I'm grateful to Dust-San for giving me the opportunity to meet you!"

Lynn said, clearing all the shinobi's suspicions.

That was good. Naruto was worried he'd have to beat some decency into that man.

"What made you want to with me here? I don't believe we've met before, and you don't look like an adventurer…"

Naruto said as he dug through his memories to see if he had met this girl somewhere. Because from the way Dust had described her, it seemed as though she knew who he was.

"That's… Well, to be honest, I witnessed your display of power the other day. You destroyed that entire mountain all by yourself! Yet, you pinned the glory on that Crimson Magic Clansman. Why is that?"

Lynn asked with curiosity pouring out of her eyes.

"Ah, you saw that…? Well, it was kind of a prank, you see…"

Naruto said while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He was surprised she wasn't freaking out over the fact that he had power way beyond that of a rookie adventurer. But then again, there were rookie adventurers who wielded powerful spells like Explosion and priests who could revive people from death in the same town.

"You destroyed a mountain… For a prank?"

Lynn's eyes grew wide as saucers at this knew piece of information.

"Well, yeah. Megumin was long overdue for a good prank, so I took her pride for Explosion Magic, and turned it against her! When I spread the rumors of her destroying a mountain with her magic, she had no choice but to claim the accomplishment. Hahaha!"

Naruto explained, and he couldn't help but laugh as he remembered the pitiful look on Megumin's face. Next to his goddess prank on Aqua, it was one of his favorites. Although, he didn't know why he was telling her all this information. Not that it really mattered.

"I knew it… Naruto-Sama is the greatest…"

"Huh?"

"N-nothing! I was just thinking that was a really good prank! The Crimson Magic Clan is well known for their intelligence, to trick one is no easy feat!"

The little girl said with bright eyes, igniting a fire in Naruto's mischievous side.

"You think so…? Well if you think that was good, then wait till you hear about this one! One time, I made Aqua…"

* * *

After about an hour of boasting about all his past pranks, Naruto realized that he might have rambled on a little too long.

"Whoops! I'm sorry. I get a little carried away when it comes to pranks… Are you bored?"

"Not at all! Learning about Naruto-Sama's mischievousness was really fun!"

Lynn quickly said before poking her fingers together shyly.

"But I do have another question…"

"Oh, you had another question? Well, I think I've done enough talking. Ask away!"

Naruto said and grinned a cheeky grin.

"O-okay… But if possible, could we go someplace a little more… private? I feel as though I'm being stared at from all around the room."

The younger girl almost pleaded in a hushed voice.

Naruto scanned the room and sweatdropped when he found that every café employee adverted their gazes. Didn't those Succubi work here!?

"Yeah, let's get out of here…"

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! It's been awhile, huh? How have you all been? Aside from the crippling stress that comes from the reality of being a full-blown adult, I'm doing alright~!**

 **But in all seriousness, I hope you enjoyed this humble update. I'm sure you're all sick of this bet, as am I, so I'm happy to announce that we will be reaching the conclusion in the next chapter or so!**

 **When will the next update happen? Dunno… But so long as the comedic fire that is my passion for KonoSuba continues to burn, I will NOT give up on this story!**

 **See you all next time!**

 **P.S. Jump Force looks bloody amazing… P.M. anytime if you want to discuss anything Jump Force related…**


	36. Pranks and Ambushes on a Winter Night

**A/N: Just wanted to clarify that the little girl "Lynn" is the newbie Succubus, and that is not the name I decided for her. It's just the cover name Dust gave her.**

 **Edit: Had to fix a scene in the beginning since it broke the KonoSuba timeline… No need to worry about it though~!**

* * *

By the time they left the café, dusk was beginning to draw near. Down the temperature dropped as what little warmth the winter sun gave faded away.

Because of how chilly it got at night during the winter, most of the townsfolk was in doors now. The only people that could be seen walking down the dimly lit streets were Naruto, Lynn, and the occasional drunken adventurer stumbling on their way home.

The two were now entering the park. The small field was covered by a thin layer of snow, and with the numerous lights of the nearby lanterns, it looked as though it was glowing.

On their way over, they had talked about a couple more of Naruto's past pranks. It seemed that Lynn was very interested in the various tricks he had pulled on people, and Naruto was more than happy to share.

"I still can't believe Naruto-Sama replaced that priest's soap with paint. Did you get in trouble for going into the woman's bathhouse?"

Lynn asked while stifling her laughter.

"You can't get in trouble if they don't catch you!"

Naruto said with a smirk, and the two shared a laugh. While Lynn wasn't looking, he glanced around their surroundings. He wasn't sure why, but he was still sensing a Succubus presence. It was small, so they were probably keeping their distance. He'd have to keep a watchful eye out, for Lynn's sake.

But before that…

"Hey, do you mind dropping the 'Sama'? It's really awkward having someone calling me that."

"Oh no! I couldn't possibly refer to Naruto-Sama so… So… Achoo!"

Lynn said in a panicked state before sneezing softly.

Naruto almost smacked himself upside the side when saw this. Of course the girl was cold! It was winter, and her shoulders were showing in that blouse of hers!

Leading the girl to a nearby bench, he brushed off the snow before pulling out the scroll that contained his precious orange jacket from his ninja pouch. After a poof of smoke, he put the jacket over the girl's shoulders.

"Here, you can use this. I'll lend it to you until we get you home."

Since he had only just returned from the Snow Sprites quest earlier, he was still in his adventuring getup, and it wasn't like he could lend this little girl a flack jacket full of weapons.

"T-thank you…"

Lynn mumbled as she gripped the jacket tightly, a growing blush staining her cheeks.

"Be sure to take care of that thing. It's really precious to me."

Naruto said in a mock-serious tone. He meant it as a joke, but the girl seemed to take it seriously seeing as her expression hardened.

"Naruto-Sama's precious… I-I will defend it with my life!"

Lynn said with determination, causing Naruto to sweatdrop.

"You don't have to take it that far… Oh? Is that who I think it is?"

Naruto said when something, or rather someone caught his attention.

Just behind them, a shadowed figure could be seen stumbling down the street. But as the figure passed a nearby lantern, the all too familiar color blue could be seen.

A sly grin formed on Naruto's face.

"Perfect timing… Hey, wanna see something funny?"

He asked, and after receiving a small nod from his female company, he created a single clone.

Lynn almost yelped at the sight of a second Naruto appearing out of thin air, but she managed to cover her mouth to muffle her surprise.

As soon as the clone was formed, Naruto fished something out of his back pocket and handed it to his doppelganger. After sharing a look, the clone then took off into the night without making so much as a sound.

Lynn poked her head over the bench to get a better look, her eyes following the clone as it nimbly snuck its way towards the stumbling figure.

Wait… She recognized that person. It was the crazed Axis Cultist who was always claiming to be a goddess. Any cultist who worshiped the gods was an enemy to a devil, but all lesser devils avoided this cult in particular like the plague.

Despite their bad reputation of having a few screws loose, the Axis Cultists were formidable opponents. A lone Succubus, especially a fletching like her, wouldn't stand a chance.

Lynn looked over to the original Naruto, who was now looking over the bench beside her.

"What are you going to do, Naruto-Sama?"

"Watch and find out… The show is about to start."

Naruto said with a wink before looking back at the drunken Aqua, who looked like she was about to sit down on a bench.

* * *

"…Hic! That damn HikiNEET! Why isn't he working his butt off to… hic! Spoil me! I'm a goddess! I deserved to be spoiled-Woah!"

Aqua, in the midst of her drunken rant, almost tripped on her own two feet. Luckily, she managed to catch herself by using a nearby bench as leverage.

"That was close… Fufufu… As if the great Aqua-Sama would fall after drinking twenty rounds on Kazuma's tab!"

She said while giggling to herself. But as soon as that boy's name escaped her lips, her mood turned sour again.

"Grr… When I get home, I'm gonna… Hic! I'm gonna pull that loner out of his bed and force him to make me happy!"

Tap!

"Hm?"

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Aqua whirled around. Only no one was there. She blinked a couple times to get the blurriness out.

Odd. She could have sworn someone just tapped on her shoulder.

Shrugging it off, Aqua sighed and sat down on the bench.

 **Ffffrttt!**

Aqua's face turned bright red as the sound of air escaping rubber filled her ears. Snapping her neck from side to side to make sure no one was around, she jumped to her feat to find a whoopie cushion on the bench.

"Who dared… Eep!"

The goddess yelped when she felt a gentle tap on her spine, one that caused shivers to go through her entire body. When she recovered, she whirled around with a glowing fist.

"Y-you!?"

But when she turned around to give the person responsible for her harassment a God Blow to the face, she found that there was no one to be found.

"S-Show yourself! To mess with a goddess is heresy!"

Aqua shouted to the empty streets, but no one answered her.

"T-that man… I'll get you one day, Naruto!"

With that said, Aqua ran off. But unknown to her drunken self, a piece of paper was stuck to her back.

* * *

"Hahahaha! Messing with Aqua when she's drunk is priceless!"

"Mufufufu… She's so drunk she didn't even notice the paper Naruto-Sama placed on her… Ah! She tripped!"

The two broke out into a laughing fit when they saw the priestess tumble to the ground.

"Aw… Poor little Aqua-Chan… That girl just never learns."

Naruto said while shaking his head in amusement. For as much trouble as that girl was worth, Aqua really was the prime target for pranks. If only dyes didn't turn into water when they touched her… He really wanted to turn Aqua's hair orange.

Lynn, after watching the dreadful goddess scamper away, looked at Naruto with eyes full of admiration.

"Naruto-Sama! Can you please teach this inexperienced child in the ways of stealth?"

"Eh? Teach you? Why do you want to be…!"

Naruto's eyes widened when he felt multiple demonic beings drawing closer. The Succubi must be making their move now!

"Naruto-Sama?"

Lynn squeaked when Naruto suddenly stood in front of her defensively. At the same time, multiple dark figures stepped out of the shadows.

About ten Succubus now surrounded the two, all clad in various lingerie that left little to the imagination.

The most familiar one to Naruto, the receptionist at the café, reached her hand out seductively.

"Naruto-Sama, come with us… Give in to your desires, so that we may awaken your true form!"

The mature woman said all while moving her hands up and down her body.

"N-no! I won't let get to me or any other person in this town!"

Naruto shouted defiantly. He probably would have looked a lot cooler if his face wasn't so red… But who would be able to remain calm in a situation like this!?

"All the other men in this town can't amount to your power… But if you won't come with us willingly, then it seems we'll have to try a different kind of play… Get him, girls!"

The receptionist Succubus said, and they all moved to pounce on the shinobi.

"Hang onto me!"

"Wha-Kyah!"

Lynn screamed when Naruto picked her up bridal style. When she saw him crouch down, her instincts told her to hang on for dear life. She was glad she did, because a split second later they were in the air and falling towards a nearby building.

Running along the rooftops, Naruto looked back to see the Succubus had sprouted wings and were flying after them.

"Tch… Looks like we'll have to try something else."

Naruto said and looked at his cargo. Lynn was clutching onto his flack jacket for dear life. She must be terrified… He had to protect her.

Brining his fingers together while still managing to hold the little girl, Naruto molded some chakra.

" **Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**

In a series of poofs, multiple clones, all carrying a Lynn of their own appeared by his side.

"Disperse!"

"!"

The Succubi stopped mid-flight when the group of Naruto's scattered in different directions.

Seeing her fellow Succubi panic, the receptionist Succubus moved in front of them to take command.

"Spread out! Don't let a single Naruto-Sama escape!"

* * *

"They caught half of my clones already… Those devils sure are persistent."

Naruto said and poked his head outside of the alleyway to check if the coast was clear.

Lynn's mind was racing in three different directions at once. Naruto holding her like a maiden, as if he was claiming her as his own!

He was-

"!"

Lynn flinched when Naruto's grip around her tightened, and she looked up to see Naruto's determined expression as he watched the skies about them. At the same time, a Succubus fly over their heads.

He was… Protecting her.

It was at that moment, Lynn felt a mass of shame. Naruto was so kind… A person that protected someone they only just met, was a person you rarely found in this world. Especially when a lesser devil was involved. It was a kindness she had rarely ever experienced.

She couldn't keep lying to him.

Naruto let out a sigh as he felt the presence of the Succubi fade. They must have finally given up.

But if that was the case, then why could he still sense-

"!"

Naruto's eyes widened when Lynn suddenly kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you for protecting me, Naruto-Sama."

Lynn said with a bashful smile adorning her lips. But her smile quickly dropped when she continued.

"But… There's something I have to tell you."

"…Wha-?"

Naruto mumbled with a dumb look on his face, but he wasn't answered. Instead, Lynn moved out of his now loose grip and stepped away from him. The shinobi's eyes widened even further when the little girl took off the orange jacket, and two devil-like wings sprouted from her back.

"You were… A succubus?"

"You must not have realized I was a Succubus since I give off such a pitiful demonic presence."

Lynn said while smiling sadly.

Naruto's expression turned somber. So this girl

"Then does that mean…?"

"Yes… When Dust-San said Naruto-Sama was looking for a girlfriend and offered me a chance to meet you, the Succubi gathered together and formed a plan. I would meet with you and gain your trust. Then, if all went well, I would become your girlfriend and…"

Lynn started before looking away bashfully.

"…Awaken you."

When she said that while looking at him so shyly, Naruto gulped. This little girl was trying to seduce him? The Succubus were a dangerous bunch…

"Ah! But I wasn't lying the whole time! I genuinely enjoyed talking with you! But… You probably never want to see me again now that you know the truth."

Lynn said while looking down dejectedly. But she knew what she was getting herself into. Even if Naruto grew to hate her, it would be better than taking advantage of the kindness he had shown her just to awaken him. The other Succubus might be angry with her, but she was already known to be a screwup, so they'd probably forgive her.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head as he tried to make terms with all this information.

'So, Dust was behind this one, huh? I still can't believe that guy tried to set me up with this kid… I need to have a serious conversation with him.'

The ninja thought before letting out a deep sigh. He couldn't bare to see this child so depressed anything longer.

"Look, it's not like you did anything wrong. Besides…"

Naruto said before he looked away and scratched at his whisker marks awkwardly.

"I enjoyed talking with you too…"

"Then…!"

Lynn said, her eyes flashing with hope.

"But! I can't take you as my girlfriend. You're… Too young."

Naruto said with a firm nod and crossed arms. Judging by her looks, Lynn seemed to be around Yunyun and Megumin's age. He couldn't date a girl that was the same age as the girl he considered his little sister.

"Oh, if age is the problem then that's okay. I may look like this, but I'm actually seventy-four years old! That may be old in human years, but to a devil it's actually quite young!"

Lynn chirped, catching Naruto flatfooted.

"…Heh?"

Naruto cocked his head to the side. What nonsense was this girl saying? Seventy-four years old? Who did she think she was? Tsunade?

"Wait wait wait! Even if your telling the truth, I still can't date you!"

"Eh? But… Why not? Is it because I'm so small?"

Lynn asked while gesturing to her body, her expression falling.

Naruto almost felt his heart break when he saw the sad look in the girl's eyes. He felt like he had just crushed this kid's-wait, not a kid… He felt like he just crushed this girl's dreams.

But despite it all, he had to hold firm! Tsunade Succubus or not, there were principles that had to be followed god damn it!

"No, that's not the reason… I just see you… as… a sister! I think of you like my cute little sister!"

Naruto found himself spouting out when he thought of Yunyun.

Lynn's eyes lit up upon hearing this. It wasn't his girlfriend, but a little sister was the next best thing! She heard there were some men out there who were into that sort of play, so she still had a chance!

Seeing the girl's expression lift, Naruto couldn't help but smile. Now all that was left was to stop the Succubus and their plans to take over the town.

"I'm glad we got this straightened out. But make sure you tell your friends that they'll have to get through me if they want to take over this town."

"What are you talking about, Naruto-Sama? We Succubus don't want to hurt humans."

"Huh? Wait, so you guys aren't planning on taking over the town?"

Naruto asked, finding himself stumped for the umpteenth time that day.

"Of course not! We Succubus don't want to fight with humans, rather, we choose to coexist with them in this town. Also, that café is just a figurehead for our real shop! You should come visit us! I'm sure Onee-Sama and the others would be very happy!"

Lynn chirped before she pulled something out of her pocket and handed him a ticket of some sorts.

"Here, take this coupon. With this, Naruto-Sama can receive a free service! Oh, but make sure you keep our existence a secret from the woman of this town."

"Free service…? Ah, wait a second! Lynn!"

Naruto shouted when the little girl lifted herself off the ground with her wings.

"Oh, and one more thing. My real name is Maria. Goodnight, Naruto-Sama! Thank you for the fun date!"

The now dubbed Maria said with a wink, and with one final wave she took off into the night.

Naruto just stood there, staring at the sky where his new friend had flown off to.

Then, he was quick to realize he was missing something…

"AH! She took my jacket!"

* * *

 **A/N: Next Time: A Conclusion to this Dreadful Bet!**

 **See you all in the next one!**

* * *

 **Interlude: Divine Retribution for this Delinquent Adventurer**

It was getting late, and Dust and Yunyun were still looking for their missing party member.

"Achoo!"

"Oh, what's this? Is Yunyun-Chan catching a cold? After spending so many nights sleeping outside, I've gotten used to the cold. I could-"

"Please stay away from me."

Yunyun's immediate response was. Honestly, she wanted nothing more than to leave this man behind. Not two minutes had passed since Naruto left and Dust had immediately started flirting with her.

What a troublesome fellow.

Then there was the task of finding Cecily, the other troublesome member of their party. Even with the use of her Clairvoyance spell she couldn't locate that crazy nun. Why were her party members so hard to find!?

"If it isn't Yunyun and… Ah, I knew Yunyun would fall prey to a deviant who promised to be her friend."

"Please don't make such unpleasant jokes! This man will take them seriously!"

Was Yunyun's instant reply when she heard someone speaking such blasphemous things, but her eyes went wide when she turned to find her rival smirking at her.

"M-Megumin!? What are you doing out this late?"

"I'm looking for Aqua. She hasn't come home yet and it's past her curfew."

Megumin said while shaking her head like a parent talking about their problem child.

'What are you, her mom?'

Yunyun thought with a sweatdrop when Dust suddenly walked up to Megumin.

"Oh, if it isn't the little miss! I'm sorry to inform you, but Boss Naruto won't be spending a lot of time with you or that crazy priest in your party from now on."

"I don't really care what that man does with his free time, so long as it doesn't get in the way of our Explosion showdowns. Elaborate."

Megumin said while pointing her staff at Dust, whose response was a snort.

"Hah! Sorry little one, but the only way you'd be able to get me to talk is with booze or money. If you were a mature woman like Yunyun-Chan, then maybe you'd be able to-"

"You know, I'm the same age as Megumin."

Yunyun said with a deadpanned expression.

"…What?"

Dust felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight.

"Hey, tell me. What exactly sets Yunyun and I apart? Huh? Tell me! I'd really like to know!"

Megumin demanded, her eyes flashing a brilliant red as if to showcase her growing anger. But her words fell unto deaf ears as Dust stared at Yunyun with bulging eyes.

"Wait wait wait! You mean to tell me that despite having that voluptuous figure, you're just a brat!? I was just wasting my time!?"

"Ah! You just call me a brat!"

Yunyun shouted before puffing her cheeks out in frustration.

"Let's blow this insufferable man to smithereens! You don't mind, right Yunyun? Right?"

Megumin said as she , and she was quickly joined by her fellow Crimson Magic Clansman.

"Of course. I don't mind one bit."

Yunyun said while pulling out her own silver staff.

"N-now wait a second! This is all just a big misunderstanding! You should be angry with Boss Naruto for misguiding me with his Lolicon ways!"

Dust stuttered while backing away from the two angry, and very dangerous lolitas.

Bump!

The delinquent stiffened when he bumped into something. But this presence wasn't a wall…

"I'm sorry, but my what?"

Naruto asked with a twitching eyebrow.

"…Oh, hai Boss…"

Dust greeted meekly and flinched when his fellow blonde started cracking his knuckles.

"H-HELLP MEEE!"


	37. Irony for this Goddess of Luck

"I'm sorry, Naruto-San… I couldn't find Cecily-San. She didn't even come home last night either."

"That's okay, Yunyun. We'll find her today. But first I gotta tell Wiz I won't be working today. It'll be a good chance for you to meet her too."

Upon hearing that she'd be meeting one of Naruto's close friends, Yunyun's eyes sparkled in excitement.

At first she had thought Wiz was Naruto's pet, but the boy had laughed when she asked what type of animal it was and explained that Wiz was his boss… Sort of.

It was complicated, but apparently Naruto worked at Wiz's magic item shop for free.

Yunyun had remembered hearing that Naruto worked for a magic shop, but only because the shop owner was very pretty. Well, that was a nicer way of putting it at least.

She wasn't worried in the slightest, though. Naruto was a good person, so she figured he was helping this Wiz person out because she was his friend.

But upon entering the shop and seeing the beautiful shop keeper behind the counter, Yunyun pulled Naruto to the side and all but hissed into his ear.

"Naruto-San! That woman is beautiful! Why haven't you asked her to be your girlfriend for the bet!?"

Naruto blinked, surprised by Yunyun's sudden willfulness. Where was all this coming from?

"I can't ask Wiz out… She's my friend."

Yunyun nearly facepalmed upon hearing his reason. It seems she would have to take matters into her own hands.

"Good morning Wiz! I brought today's lunch! I'll just set it on the table here."

Naruto greeted and placed the container that contained Wiz's daily rations onto the table in the center of the room.

"Sorry for making you do this every day, Naruto-San… I truly appreciate it."

Wiz said with an apologetic smile as she walked around the counter to greet them.

"It's fine, it's fine! I already told you that I make too much ramen for my experiments anyway. So in a sense, you're helping me out by taking the extras."

Naruto said with a cheeky grin, and the two laughed together.

Yunyun's cheeks were puffed out as if she were about to explode. This was ridiculous! These two were acting like a couple and Naruto didn't even realize!

"By the way, Naruto-San. Is this that cute mage in your party that you've been talking about recently?"

Wiz asked, her eyes falling onto Yunyun and causing the girl jolt.

"A-ah! Y-yes… My name is Yunyun! It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Wiz-San!"

Yunyun said and bowed respectively.

"How respectful… Well, I was a mage before I retired as an adventurer. So if you ever need advice or need

"Ah, t-thank you! I was beginning to run low on manatite crystals!"

"Oh, I have something better than simple manatite! Come with me!"

Wiz chirped and led Yunyun to the back of the store.

'You're taking advantage of a kid, Wiz…'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop but followed them regardless. Yunyun was smart enough not to by garbage.

—Apparently, he was wrong.

Wiz ended up talking Yunyun into buying a special manatite crystal that could hold up to twice as much mana, but at the cost of draining some of the user's mana.

If the purpose of buying a manatite crystal was to not use mana, what was the point of buying such an item?

But when Naruto tried to dissuade Yunyun from buying it, Wiz ended up crying and only stopped when Yunyun promised to only buy magic items from her store from now on.

So, here they were. Sitting at the center table during the shop's lunch hour, watching Wiz scarfing her ramen like a lone Silver Wolf that hadn't eaten in days.

"Wiz-San really like those noodles… What is it called?"

Yunyun leaned over to Naruto and whispered.

"It's called ramen, and it's the food of the gods that I learned how to make back in my home country."

Naruto said and nodded sagely.

'A food from Naruto-San's home…'

Yunyun thought as she eyed the extra bowl of noodles that sat inside the box in front of them.

Seeing this, Naruto reached over to grab the extra bowl for the young mage.

"If you want, you try this one. I'm sure Wiz wouldn't mind shar-Ouch!"

Naruto yelped and reeled his hand back when Wiz suddenly smacked him with a ladle.

Wiz blinked, as if she didn't even notice what she had done.

"Oh, where are my manners! Would you like to try some, Yunyun? Naruto-San's ramen is very delicious!"

The shopkeeper asked and placed the second bowl in front of the younger girl.

Yunyun looked at Naruto, who merely nodded his quickly while cradling his injured hand.

"Th-thank you, Wiz-San…"

Taking a hold of the chopsticks, Yunyun picked up some of the hot noodles. She had eaten something similar in her village called udon, but the noodles in this 'ramen' were significantly smaller and had various topping such as vegies and meat.

'…This is!?'

Upon placing the ramen into her mouth, she slurped them down and tasted an explosion of flavor from the soup that had seeped its way into the noodles.

"It seems you have another regular, chef Naruto-San."

Wiz said with a smile as she watched Yunyun scarf the ramen down with a new vigor. She then went back to finish her own bowl, but gasped when she realized it was empty.

"N-no way…"

Seeing Wiz on the verge of crying, Naruto sweatdropped.

"Don't worry Wiz, I'll bring some more later."

"Sniff! T-thank you, Naruto-San…!"

Wiz sniffled, causing the shinobi to chuckle.

* * *

'Now then… To find that troublesome priestess.'

Naruto thought as he stepped out of the magic item shop. He decided to leave Yunyun behind in case Dust showed up later.

…Also, to keep Wiz company.

It was now mid-noon, but the air was still cold thanks to it being winter.

'Oh yeah, I still need to get my jacket back from Maria… I just hope the Succubus don't tear me limb from limb.'

Letting out a sigh as he thought about a future chore, Naruto set off to find Cecily.

But first, a little information.

Walking up to one of the many Eris cultists in town, Naruto gave them a friendly wave.

"Hey, where's the nearest Eris Church?"

"Our humble church is just across town and up that hill."

The priest said while pointing towards one of the few hills in the town of beginners.

"Thanks!"

Naruto said was about to take off when the Eris cultist spoke again.

"If you have something you would like to confess, or simply something you would like to get off your chest… Eris-Sama would be more than happy to listen to your troubles. Our doors are open to everyone, not just Eris devotees."

The man said with a happy smile.

"I-I'll keep that in mind…"

Naruto stuttered, baffled by the difference between Eris cultists and Axis cultists. It was like night and day with those two. One was overwhelmingly nice, while the other… Was the Axis Cult.

'Man… He didn't even ask if I wanted to join the cult or anything!'

Naruto thought as he picked up his pace again and shivered when he remembered all the Axis Cultists that had tried to get him to join their ranks.

He hoped he never had to go to that place again.

* * *

 **Eris Church…**

"Why!? What do you mean I can't have anymore bread!? Is this how you treat your sister cultists?"

"Miss… You've stepped in line eight times now. This bread is meant for everyon-"

"Exactly! So why am I being withheld from receiving anymore!? You're just going to throw it away later, aren't you?"

"…"

This was the scene Naruto walked in on the moment he set foot in the Eris church. Cecily was in fact where he thought she was going to be… At the Eris church harassing the members. He almost felt like leaving right then and there.

But the Eris cultist that was talking with Cecily must have been new to dealing with Axis Cult members, as they seemed to be on verge of crying.

Holding back a groan, Naruto made his way over to Cecily and the Eris cultist.

"Then it's settled! I'll be taking the rest of this wasted bread-Owie!"

Cecily yelped when Naruto chopped her on the head, but her eyes lit up upon seeing the shinobi.

"Thank goodness you're here! This Eris Cultist is trying to oppress me! They are denying me of my share of bread just because I am an Axis Culti-Owowowow! S-Shtap ith! O-Ohay, I'm sowwy~!"

"I apologize for my party member's lack of common sense. I will do my best to make sure this doesn't happen again."

Naruto said as he continued to stretch Cecily's cheeks.

"I-I see… Well, there was no harm done today. So, all is forgiven in the eyes of Lady Eris."

The Eris cultist said before she picked up the basket of bread Cecily had collected from them and walked back to the growing distribution line.

"Ah! My bread! Naruto you idiot!"

Cecily cried out as she fruitlessly reached towards the retreating Eris Cultist.

"Hm?"

Naruto growled, earning an "eep!" from his fellow blonde. He then sighed. Might as well ask why she was doing whatever it was she was doing.

"So? What were you thinking, harassing a nice Eris Cultist like that?"

"I was not harassing them. We were merely at a disagreement between Cults."

Cecily denied while adverting her gaze.

What happened to 'being oppressed'?

"As I mentioned before, the Axis Church in this town is low on funds. We needed that bread for our distribution service. I even waited in line like a normal person! But now all my hard work is ruined…"

Cecily said with a huff and folded her arms under her bust to pout.

"Seriously…? If you want funds for your church so bad, then why don't you put yourself to work and earn it?"

Naruto asked with a deadpanned expression. He worked his entire childhood for scraps, and this girl was complaining about waiting in a line? Nu uh… He was going to make this priestess earn her keep as an adventurer in his party.

"How rude! Are you telling me to sell my body for money!?"

"Wh-what!? That's not what I said at all!"

Naruto stuttered, nearly choking on his own spit when the priestess made such an outrageous claim.

"Although… It would be an act for the sake of spreading Aqua-Sama's name. But it would have to be with someone I know so it's not awkward…"

Cecily muttered to herself, causing Naruto to facefault.

'She's actually considering it!? Or rather, wouldn't something like that be better done with someone you didn't know!?'

Naruto shook his head. Now wasn't the time to be thinking of the common sense of prostitution, he needed to stop this crazy priestess before she did something she would regret for the rest of her life!

But he looked up to see Cecily smiling sweetly at him. Uh oh…

"Naruto, my dear husband-to-be, would you-"

"Hell no!"

Naruto's voice echoed throughout the halls of the Eris Church, catching the attention of everyone inside.

Even Cecily seemed to be taken aback by the shinobi's sudden outburst.

"…Oh Naruto, you shy boy you~!"

"Why you little…!"

"Excuse me, sir."

Before Naruto had the chance to strangle a girl for the first time in his life, the same Eris Cultist from before confronted them. Only this time, they had a rather strained smile on their face.

"I can understand that frustration can get the best of all of us. But this is a holy place. Unless you wish to be cursed with bad luck, I strongly suggest you ask for Lady Eris' forgiveness in our confession room. Do not worry, Eris is a forgiving goddess."

The Eris Cultist's voice was calm, yet stern. It was definitely a voice befitting that of a devote priestess. Unlike a certain duo Naruto knew.

"Yes… I'm sorry."

"Then, if you would follow me."

Just as Naruto was about to follow the Eris cultist, he turned to Cecily to find that she had no intension of following. If her sticking her tongue out at them meant anything.

"If you're not coming with us, then meet met at Wiz's Magic Item shop. Yunyun will be there, so wait for me to come and get you guys."

Naruto said with a twitching eyebrow.

"Oh my! Sweet little Yunyun is waiting for me? Why didn't you say so earlier!? I hope my favorite lolita Megumin is there too~!"

Cecily said before storming out the door.

Shaking his head, Naruto went back to following the Eris Cultist.

* * *

Naruto sat seiza-style in the middle of a large, empty room in front of a statue that resembled Eris, the Goddess of Luck, and the one responsible for giving him a second chance at life.

That's right, why didn't he come here to say his thanks earlier? He owed a lot to Eris! Thanks to her, he was able to meet Wiz and Yunyun!

'I guess there's Dust and Kazuma's party too, but they've been real troublesome as of late… Especially Aqua.'

Of course, there was his reunion with Jiraiya. Had Eris not given him this second chance, who knows how long it would have been until he got to see that old geezer again?

'Oh yeah, prayers… Um, hey Eris! It's Naruto! Long time no see! Or, I guess you can still see me. Anyways, sorry about my little outburst earlier. My teammate can be a little…'

Naruto's thoughts trailed off when he realized the goddess be seeing right through his lies, and so he felt a sudden sense of guilt.

'Okay, I guess that's not true. Yes, Cecily was getting on my nerves. But that's not why I shouted. I guess this whole bet I made with Aqua, and all these girls I've been meeting has really gotten me stressed. I don't know… I'm just not that good at dealing with those types of situations. Ah, as you probably already know, I made a bet with Aqua earlier this week to see if I could get a girlfriend. I don't know where I was getting my confidence from… The only girl I ever had a crush on was in love with my friend the entire time I knew her.'

Realizing he was beginning to ramble, Naruto decided to get to the point.

'Um… I don't really know where I'm getting at here, sorry. I guess what I'm trying to say is I need your help. This may sound childish, but I don't want Aqua win. I was going to ask my friend Darkness, but she ended up being too much to handle. If you help me win this bet by blessing me with good luck, then I promise to help Kazuma with his debts. Not that I would leave the poor guy with an addition four-million Eris to his debt in the first place. If not, then I guess I wouldn't mind treating Aqua to more wine. She's not that bad once you get used to her attitude.'

With his thought finally straightened out, Naruto finally decided to conclude his confession. He looked up at the statue of the kind and beautiful woman and smile.

"Thank you, goddess Eris."

* * *

"Ah~! I feel like a load was just taken off my shoulders!"

Naruto said as he walked out of the confession room and back into the halls of the church.

"I'm sure Lady Eris was pleased."

The Eris Cultist said with a smile of their own.

"Yeah, being cursed with bad luck would have been pretty bad… Thanks, I might come back sometime for another confession."

Naruto said, earning a nod of approval from the Eris Cultist. He then made his way down the hallway towards the exit with newfound energy.

'I don't know why, but I feel great right now!'

With the amount of energy he was feeling, the Winter Shogun wouldn't stand a chance!

"Here I come Winter Shogun-Wah!"

"Kyah!"

Just as Naruto opened the door to the church, he shouted at the top of his lungs. But in doing so, he failed to notice a mop of short white hair in front of him.

"Ah! Chris!? S-sorry! I wasn't paying attention!"

Naruto stammered when he looked down and realized that he had knocked the thief girl down.

"N-no, that's okay. I wasn't paying much attention myself… A thief should always be prepared for the unexpected."

Chris said while scratching at the scar on her cheek awkwardly. She was about to pick herself up when she noticed Naruto's extended hand.

"Th-thanks…"

After Naruto helped Chris to her feet, the two stood in silence for a couple seconds.

"So… What were doing in the Eris Church? You don't strike me as a cultist type."

Chris asked while kicking a pebble on the ground with her foot.

"Oh, that? I came here looking for my crazy Axis Cultist of a party member and ended up confessing to the goddess Eris. Pretty weird, huh?"

Naruto said with a laugh, earning a chuckle from Chris.

"What did you confess to the goddess Eris? If you don't mind me asking of course!"

Chris asked, adding the last part hastily because some people were very private when it came to their confessions to the gods.

"Hm… It was less of a confession and more of me thanking Eris to be honest."

Naruto looked back into the church and smile before adding.

"I have lot to be thankful for thanks to her."

"I-is that so?"

Hearing Chris's voice crack, Naruto turned to her looking down at the ground, her face beet red.

"You okay?"

"Y-yes! Of course!"

Was her jittery response.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the girl's strange behavior, but he decided not to press on and changed the subject.

"So what were you doing here? Oh, wait, I think I remember Darkness saying you were an Eris cultist like her right?"

After calming herself, Chris managed to look Naruto in the eye and puffed out her chest with pride.

"That's right. It's normal for a chivalrous thief such as myself to be an Eris cultist. Since thieves rely on the luck skill a lot, it's only natural that we'd follow devote ourselves to the goddess of luck and good fortune."

"A chivalrous thief? You mean like stealing from the rich and giving to the poor?"

Naruto asked, an incredulous smile growing on his lips.

"I-it's true! I don't just go around stealing whatever I want!"

"Hm~?"

Hearing Naruto's amused humming, Chris's ears turned red in frustration. Two could play at that game.

"Isn't the deadline to that bet you made with Aqua-San today? There's not much time left until the sun goes down, are you gonna be okay?"

Chris asked with a bitter smile.

"Oh shoot, you're right! What am I going to do!?"

Naruto shouted and fell to his hands and knees in dismay.

"What happened to Darkness? Did she reject you?"

Chris asked with a raised eyebrow, since the last time they spoke they had been talking about Darkness.

"Darkness was too much for me…"

Naruto said without even looking up.

"I believe it…"

Chris said with a sweatdrop going down her cheek. She then crossed her arms around her back and started kicking her shoes against one another.

"You know… If you can't think of anyone else. I wouldn't mind being your girlfriend, so you can win the bet with Aqua-San of course."

Hearing this sudden revelation, Naruto looked up in confusion.

"Huh? Why would you do that?"

"W-well…! You did give me back my knife when we Kazuma stole my underwear back then, and…"

Chris stuttered while scratching at her scar nervously, and she was finally pushed over the edge when she looked down and saw Naruto's confused face.

"I-it will only be for the bet! A-also! You'll owe me a favor later, okay!?"

She added while pointing a flustered finger at the grounded shinobi.

After hearing this, Naruto stood up and stared Chris right in the eye.

"W-what? Eek!"

The thief girl yelped when Naruto suddenly grabbed her shoulders. What was this? Why was he staring at her so seriously? Why was her heart beating so fast!?

"Thank you, Chris. You're a lifesaver."

"…"

Oh, the irony in this situation was killing her.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm on a roll with these consistent updates! You're welcome~ ;)**

 **Anyways, it seems Chris will be the one to pave Naruto's way to victory!**

 **Out of curiosity, how many people saw this coming? I tried hinting that Chris would end up being the girl to conclude the bet through her and Naruto's conversations. So how did I do?**

 **Alright, see you in the next one!**


	38. A Conclusion to this Bet Between Fools

"Scum! Pervert! Virgin NEET!"

Aqua shouted with teary eyes as she stalked Kazuma down the stairs of their mansion.

"Oh! Kazuma! You've finally decided to come out! Does this mean you're ready to go on another quest?"

Darkness asked from the living room table, a cup of tea in her hands.

"About time you came out."

Megumin said upon seeing the male enter the room with the steamy priestess behind him.

"I'm still mad about that cheeky writing you scribbled on my dead body… Excalibur my ass…"

Kazuma said and immediately shot Megumin a glare, who was quick to advert her gaze.

"That was Naruto. Anyways, why is Aqua being so noisy? What did you do this time?"

"Hear this! Kazuma finally decided to change his class to pervert! I was on my way to the bathroom to wash up this morning and this fiend suddenly came out of his room and spanked me!"

Aqua interjected and pointed at Kazuma accusingly.

"First of all, it's already well past noon. Secondly, I am no fiend. I am a gentleman. As such, if I see such a note on a girl's back then it's only natural I would follow its instructions accordingly."

Kazuma casually explained as if he'd done nothing wrong in the slightest.

Upon hearing Kazuma's words, Darkness and Megumin looked at Aqua to find a piece of paper that read "Spank Me!" attached to her back. They then looked back at Kazuma with dull looks.

Such an act was to be expected of their party leader by now, but it was still low.

Seeing how everyone was looking at her back, Aqua reached back and felt the paper. Ripping it off and seeing what was written on it, she growled angrily before crumpling the paper and throwing it onto the ground.

Because she had come home so late, she had immediately gone to bed without changing into her pajamas. On top of being smashed from her late-night drinking, there was no way for her to have noticed!

'But who could have…'

Aqua thought when her eyes widened when she remembered the prank a certain ninja pulled on her way home.

"Naruto! Of course that man would know that Kazuma wouldn't be able to resist laying his hands his hands on my divine figure should the chance arise!"

"Aqua is pretty, but calling her figure divine is a little…"

"Shh… Remember, we all promised to go along with her act remember Megumin?"

Aqua began to tremble with anger when she heard Megumin and Darkness whispering amongst themselves. But the breaking point was when she saw Kazuma smirking at her.

"Mizuru…"

"AHHHH!"

Aqua screamed when Kazuma said the word that she had forbidden her party members from saying. But just as she was about to tackle the shut-in and strangle him to death, a certain thought came to her.

Today was the deadline of the bet.

So just like that, all of Aqua's anger vanished from her face. It was as if she was never angry to begin with.

This, of course, was unnerving to her party members.

"U-uh… Aqua? Are you okay?"

Kazuma asked politely when the rambunctious girl stopped. Realizing he may have gone too far, he tried to press on.

"Y-you know, I heard the guild had a new shipment of ale from the capital coming in today? I'm feeling quite generous today, so I'll treat you to a glass or two."

"…Fufufu…"

Aqua chuckled darkly, her bangs covering her eyes.

"A-Aqua… San?"

Kazuma stuttered as he stepped away from the goddess who was giving off dangerous vibes. He then looked to his other teammates for help, but they both looked away.

Cowards… He'd make them feel the wrath of his Steal ability later.

"Let's go to the guild. I have a bet to win."

Aqua finally said and turned on her heel.

"Oh, that's today isn't it? But you seem quite confident, Aqua. Naruto may not be as bad as Kazuma, but he can be as bad as Kazuma."

Darkness said with Megumin nodding her head in agreement.

"O-oi! Why was my name mentioned twice!? That doesn't even make sense!"

Kazuma retorted angrily, but he was ignored as Aqua snorted and began to walk towards the bathroom to get ready.

"Hmph! Please, this is Naruto we're talking about! There's no way he got a girlfriend."

* * *

"You actually got a girlfriend!? How! Did he pay you? Threaten you? A girl shouldn't so easily give into such things!"

Aqua screeched while pressing the girl in front of her with questions and concerns.

"The thief girl whose panties were stolen by Kazuma? Color me surprised."

Megumin said while rubbing her chin in thought.

"Chris…? Ah! Is this some sort of play? Are you trying to make me jealous by dating my best friend? Wait, is this what they call NTR!?"

Darkness demanded with heavy breaths leaving her mouth.

"D-Darkness, come on… You know Naruto-San isn't that kind of person. Also, that would require the two of you to be dating for it to be… You know what, never mind."

Chris said as she struggled to continue smiling. Not even a minute had passed since Aqua and her party's arrival, so why was it that she already wanted to go home?

Naruto scratched the back of his head as the three girls eyed him with various expressions.

"So? When did this happen?"

Kazuma asked his fellow male adventurer. Due to his position in the bet, he had no choice but to be suspicious. There was no way in hell he would be able to pay off an additional four million Eris on top of his forty-million Eris debt. It was time he took this situation seriously.

He felt bad for Chris, but Naruto was going down.

"W-well, you see… I was actually on my way out of the Eris church when I bumped into Chris."

Naruto started and looked to Chris. Since they had a little time to kill before Aqua and them showed up, they came up with a little backstory that the girl would believe. But with Kazuma against him again, it may be a little harder than he thought.

"I-I was on my way to the church and we bumped into each other. So we decided to go for a walk and talk… I guess you could say we kinda clicked then?"

Chris said while scratching at the scar on her cheek. She had a feeling this would fool Aqua, but Kazuma was a lot sharper than he looked. She was worried he might see through their plan.

"O-oh… Is that so? Well I wish you two the best…"

Kazuma said through ground teeth.

The stuttering, the awkward glances, the blushing! They were acting just like a newly formed couple! He was so jealous! He was-

Broke…

'I'm never getting out of debt…'

Kazuma thought and was about to leave to get wasted when Aqua suddenly spoke up.

"Hah! I can see right through your little scheme! You must have gotten on your hands and knees and begged for Chris's help! What a hopeless man."

Aqua said with a smug smile, and it grew into a smirk when the pair in front of her widened their eyes.

Naruto began to sweat. He thought they were going be fine since Kazuma seemed to have given up. But what was with Aqua all of a sudden? Did she know about their plan?

He looked to Chris for help, but he found that she seemed to be in the same predicament as he was.

'Those reactions… Aqua's right!? How did she know when even I couldn't?'

Kazuma thought when he saw the panicked looks on Naruto and Chris's faces. Could it be that Aqua was actually experienced in love? After all, despite how she acted she was a goddess.

Seeing as the two weren't going to say anything, Aqua puffed out her chest victoriously.

"Fufufu… So it seems I was right. I am an expert in love after all. Well then, it looks I-"

"You're wrong! I asked Chris out and she said yes! So that makes us a couple!"

Naruto shouted for the whole guild to hear, but not before wrapping one of his arms around Chris's waist and drawing her close to him.

'Please just go along with this, Chris… I'll do anything you want later!'

"…"

Chris lowered her head in embarrassment, her ears burning bright red. But she knew there was no going back now so she kept quiet.

"Wh-wh-wh-wha…!"

Aqua stammered as she stumbled backwards.

"Oh~! Such a bold act of affection! In the middle of the guild too! I never knew you were into this sort of thing, Chris!"

Darkness said with a hint of jealously in her voice, causing the thief's face to turn an extra shade darker.

"N-n-no! I'm not like that! I-I… I actually like Naruto-San…"

Chris said in an attempt to go along with Naruto by looking up at him, but she quickly adverted her eyes when she saw that he was looking at her in surprise. She really hoped he didn't misunderstand her just now.

It was all just an act! An act!

"As a Crimson Demon, it's killing me to hold back my urge to one-up this and take the spotlight. But even I know it would be back to get in the way of a moment like this."

Megumin muttered to herself before she placed a hand on Aqua's shoulder. It was time the girl admitted defeat.

"N-no way…"

Aqua hunched over dejectedly. How could this be happening? Naruto was Naruto! He was a hopeless man-child that was in desperate need of her guidance! With the small price of a drink, she would have showed him the way to a woman's heart! Without her help, there was no way he could…!

'…Wait! That's it!'

The goddess thought when it dawned on her that Naruto likely had no experience with women. No, he definitely had no experience with women! It was her win!

"Aqua…"

Kazuma said sadly when he saw the girl started laughing.

'What a pitiful girl… She must have realized how stupid it was to make a bet with the guy she had a crush on to get a girlfriend. Her mind must have broken.'

Chris sighed in relief. With the sign of Aqua's hysterical laughter in the situation she was in, it was a sign that she had given up. It was finally over…

"Fufufu… Ahahahahah! Naruto! You fool!"

Aqua said and began walking towards the duo.

Naruto let go of Chris so he could step back as Aqua got up in his face.

"Did you really think that would be enough to convince me!? There's only one way I will accept defeat! You want to know what that is?"

"W-what?"

Naruto gulped as he felt a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"If you two are really a couple… Then you'll have to do the one thing that all couple do! Kiss! Right here and now!"

Aqua demanded such an outrageous thing, and the guild roared.

"A-Aqua!? You-"

Kazuma tried to stop Aqua, but his voice drowned in the sea that was the adventurers cheering.

"Do it!"

"I wanna see a good one!"

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

The adventurers surrounded Naruto and Chris and began to chant the same dreaded word over and over again.

Naruto frantically looked around and found the girl that was responsible for this mess standing on top of a nearby table performing party tricks that only boosted the crowd's energy levels. He then looked at Chris, who clearly looked like she wanted nothing more than to leave.

'I guess that's it… I can't ask Chris for more than she's already done for me.'

Naruto thought and was about to holler out to Aqua when Chris suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Naruto, I…"

Chris started, but the cheers of the adventurers skyrocketed.

"Ohhh! The girl's taking the initiative!"

"What a bold woman! I'm so jealous!"

Were some of the things that were being said within the crowd.

"Ch-Chris?"

Naruto asked, his face turning bright red. She wasn't seriously going to kiss him for the bet, was she!?

Chris was frozen with a boiling smile plastered on her red face. That's not what she was doing at all! She was going to tell Naruto that she was done! But now what was she supposed to do!?

No, the answer was obvious! She had to tell Naruto that she couldn't go through with the act any longer!

"…!"

Just as Chris looked up to say what she wanted to say, she found Naruto looking down at her with an equally embarrassed expression. Because of the surrounding adventurers, they had been pushed closer together than before. She looked at his lips, and felt his breath…

"I'M SORRY!"

Chris exploded before pushing her way through the crowd and out of the adventurer's guild.

"Ah~! She chickened out!"

"How boring…"

The adventurers grumbled about having their show cut short before dispersing and going back to what they were doing.

'These guys…'

Naruto thought with a twitching eyebrow. He definitely had to apologize to Chris later…

"Hahahaha! Looks like it's my win, Naruto! But that was to be expected. You really don't know how sensitive a woman's heart is."

Aqua cackled with laughter as she walked up to Naruto's side before leaning in and whispering.

"I'll give you one last chance… Dedicate yourself to making me happy, worship me, revere me! Do that, and I'll drop the whole bet."

The goddess said with before bursting out with laughter fitting that of devil.

As angry as Naruto should have been at this girl, he couldn't help but sweatdrop. This girl was supposed to be a goddess, right? Then why was she acting like a villain from one of Ero-Senin's novels?

It was almost comical at the length she was going to get him to become one of her devotees.

"I'd rather join the Eris Cult."

Naruto said, causing Aqua to fall flat on her face.

"Y-you…! You monster! Demon scum! You will learn what it means to disobey a goddess's wishes-Gah!"

Aqua winced in pain when Kazuma suddenly chopped her on the head.

"Give it up already, would you Aqua? You lost."

"Hah!? How did I lose? They didn't kiss-"

"Of course they didn't! They only just became a couple today, you moron! Then you suddenly put them in a situation where they had to kiss in front of a whole crowd! Not even some married couples like to do that!"

Kazuma scolded the girl, making her retract a couple steps.

Naruto scratched at his whisker marks. Kazuma sure knew how to deal with these girls.

"Sorry about that, Naruto."

Kazuma said while looking away awkwardly. He wasn't really sure what to say to the guy. As jealous as he was, he had no intention of getting in the way of Naruto's romance. Bet or no bet, it really seemed like Naruto and Chris had chemistry, and he'd feel really bad if their relationship ended because of Aqua's stupidity.

"You sure you don't want to run after her?"

"That's okay, I'll apologize to her later. I'm sure Chris wants to be alone right now anyway…"

Naruto said with a sweatdrop, and the two boys chuckled a bit at that.

Kazuma turned to look at Aqua, who was now being consoled by Darkness and Megumin. Those girls were causing him nothing but trouble lately… But he guessed it wasn't anything knew.

"Well, it looks like my party will be taking on your debt as well…"

"Hm? Oh, okay. But don't worry, I'll go on quests with you guys to help pay for the combined debt."

"…Eh?"

Kazuma looked at the blonde in confusion.

"What? You didn't think I was coldhearted enough to leave my friends with forty-four million Eris on their tab, did you?"

Naruto said with a cheeky grin, causing Kazuma to widen his eyes.

. . .

"Damn shonen protagonist."

"What?"

"Nothing! I'm looking forward to working with you, friend!"

* * *

"Seriously… What is up with that guy, trying to act all cool. I can be like that to you know!?"

Kazuma grumbled as he and his party walked back to the mansion. Because of how late they had gone to the guild, and Aqua's little fiasco with the bet's conclusion, it was too late for them to take on any quests.

"Sure sure. We all know what a brave leader you are, Kazuma. Thank you for taking care of us."

Megumin while pointing her staff in the air.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm being looked down on?"

"But it'll be reassuring having Naruto joining us for some quests!"

Darkness said with an excited look on her face.

"Don't ignore me."

Kazuma said when the girls changed the subject.

"Though I wonder, what about his own party?"

Megumin asked, ignoring Kazuma's complaints.

"He said it's hard to get them all together anyway, so it'd be fine. But anyways, if you have complaints about my leadership then let's hear it."

Kazuma said and tried to reel the conversation back.

"Oh! With someone like Naruto in our party, Kazuma will have no choice but to let us go on harder quests! *Hah… *Hah… I wonder what kind of beasts I'll face!"

Darkness said as her breathing grew more ragged.

"…"

A vein bulged on Kazuma's forehead. He was already mad at these two for not helping him this morning. If they were just going to ignore now…

"Steal! Steal!"

"AH! Aqua was right! Kazuma really did change his class to pervert!"

"Guh…! To steal the underwear of two women in public…! Kazuma really is a man worthy of the title 'Kazuma the Brute'!"

"Huh!? Tell those things to my face! I got plenty of mana to spare! Steal! Steal! Steal!"

As Kazuma chased Megumin and Darkness around, Aqua walked in the back at a slower pace. She had been keeping quiet the whole way, deep in thought.

'…Things can't keep going this way. Looks like I'll need to ask THAT person.'

With that thought, Aqua began to chuckle to herself darkly.

* * *

 **A/N: Poor Chris… But with this chapter, the bet is now behind us. Thank goodness… lol**

 **I'm sure all of you were expecting Naruto to help out Kazuma with the debt if he won. I mean, 44,000,000 Eris is a lot of money…**

 **Oh, and just to clarify. Naruto will still have his own party with Yunyun, Dust, and Cecily. But as we've seen, it's very difficult to get them all together to actually go on a quest.**

 **Next time we're going to see how some of the other characters are doing outside of Axel. I wonder what Jiraiya's been up to these days~**

 **See you all in the next one!**


	39. Meanwhile

**A/N: 1,400 reviews~! ^^**

* * *

 **Crimson Demon Village…**

The door to a certain divination shop opened as a young girl with black hair that twirled at the tips walked in.

The owner of the shop looked up with a knowing smile.

"Good morning, Arue. I had a vision that you would visit my shop today."

"So it seems, Soketto. Then I take it you already know why I am here?"

Arue asked with narrowed eyes as she walked over to a nearby window and closed the curtains.

"I have foreshadowed that this day would come. I assume you have finished deciphering the tome that our ancestors have left us?"

"Not quite. It is near completion, but I require the eyes of a female mage born from the line of our chief. Only then will we uncover the truth."

This caused Soketto's eyes to widen ever so slightly. But she was quick to retain her calm yet calculating expression.

"The chief would not allow such actions."

"That is why it must be done in secret. Without magic."

Arue said while peeking outside the curtains to make sure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. Seemingly satisfied that no one was watching, Arue walked over to Soketto's desk and placed a small scroll in front of her.

Soketto eyed the scroll for a moment, but her attention was drawn to the sound of the of the door opening once more and saw that Arue was already leaving.

"…Is Ero-Senin aware of this scroll's existence?"

"…No, and I intend to keep it that way. Now I must leave and perform the forbidden ritual to keep Ero-Senin's vision off our village for the time being."

Arue said and closed the door behind her.

Soketto stared at the door for a few moments, then looked back at the scroll that had found its way into her hands.

"You can come out now."

"!"

In the corner of the room, the very space became distorted as a cloaked man appeared out of thin air.

"You were aware of my presence…"

"Of course. Just who do you think I am?"

Soketto said with a tone of amusement, causing the boy to advert his gaze.

"I have a task for you, Buzucoily."

* * *

 **Alcanretia…**

"Achoo!"

Jiraiya wheezed, his voice echoing off the walls of the nearly empty hot springs.

"What is wrong, my comrade? Don't tell me you're catching a cold in a hot spring? Hahaha!"

A man that looked to be of similar age to the sage said before bellowing with laughter.

"No, it's not that… I think that pipsqueak is pretending to place a curse on me again."

Jiraiya said and let out a tired sigh. He loved the Crimson Demon Village, for it was known to have plenty of beautiful woman. But for some reason, he was super popular with the kids. Especially a certain mage that aspired to be an author like him.

"Gah! Why can't I have this sort of luck with _mature_ woman!? Curse the Goddess of Water for my bad luck!"

The shinobi shouted, but realized he said something that was considered taboo in the city that was the headquarters of the Water Goddess's followers.

"Ah… I mean… Sorry Zesta."

Jiraiya said while laughing awkwardly. For the man that he was currently sitting with was the head priest of the Axis Church, who was currently frowning in disapproval.

"I'll forgive you if you join our ranks."

"Don't ask for the impossible."

This was a classic strategy the Axis Cult used to gain new members, but Jiraiya knew a way around their advances. The Axis Cultists were simple people. You merely needed to redirect their attention to something else.

"Hey, where are the ladies? This is the mixed bathing side, isn't it?"

"Hmm… The woman must have been aware of our inevitable arrival. It's a shame Cecily is still absent. I would normally have her tell me when the female members were coming to the mixed baths."

Zesta said while shaking his head.

Yes, the figurehead of the Axis Cult was in fact a hopeless pervert.

"I had hoped they would have come at the same time as last time, but it seems they have created a system to avoid me. Those silly children… They're so shy to show some skin, but I'll be sure to teach them that there is no shame in the eyes of our revered goddess-"

The old priest said before he stood out of the water and raised his fist.

"-For it is in our divine doctrine that we must live life to the fullest, without a care what other people may think! Do what must be done! For as long as it is not a crime!"

"…"

Jiraiya simply stared at his friend as he preached about nothing but nonsense.

They were both perverts, Jiraiya wouldn't deny that. But the bug difference between them-

"By the way, Jiraiya-San. Next time you must bring along some of those little Crimson Mages that follow you around to our city. I would love to show them our wonderful hot springs! Fufufu…"

-was that he was also a lolicon.

While Jiraiya was into mature woman, Zesta didn't discriminate any woman. He didn't care whether they were bountiful or flat, young or mature. If they were cute and female, they were on Zesta's strike list.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be sure to do that. By the way, where's Cecily?"

Jiraiya asked when he realized he hadn't seen the blonde priestess at all since he had arrived at the city of springs.

The girl had an amazing figure, one that her robes did very little to hide. But her personality was… Well, that.

The first time they had met, she had instantly tried seducing him when he mentioned he was a famous author. Now, he was okay with that at first. After all, Cecily had a nice figure. But then he had shown her his art, to which the priestess had instantly tossed to the side and called it garbage.

The nerve of some people!

Since then, Jiraiya had avoided the priestess like the plague.

"Cecily… Ran into a little trouble when she tried using a rather expensive strategy to recruit a new member. Poor child… She was forced to flee with her debts to the Town of Beginners."

Zesta said with a somber look on his face.

"Town of Beginners… I was actually headed there right now to see one of my old students."

Jiraiya said and took a mental note to look out for crazy priestesses in the future.

"Are you now? Perhaps I could ask you to check on her while you're there? I would do it myself, by my duties simply won't allow me the time. Honestly… What would my Sect do without me?"

Zesta asked with a tired smile.

"Duties my ass! You just want to spend your time sexually harassing the cute members of your cult! Though I would join you if your members weren't so shot in the head…"

Jiraiya spat and crossed his arms, but the gray-haired man simply smiled.

"You know, cursing our Goddess's name in this city is-"

"Guh…! F-fine! You do a lot for me, so it's only natural to return the favor every once in a while."

Jiraiya owed Zesta a lot for keeping the Axis Cultists off his back while he was visiting the city. It was rumored people lost some of their intelligence stat when they joined the Axis Cult, which was something Jiraiya could not afford.

But to think Zesta would go so far for one of his fellow followers-

"With Cecily back here, I'll be able to have her learn of the female members new bathing system!"

Yep. The man Jiraiya had made friends with was completely hopeless.

But…

"Hey, my friend! Let me in on that next time I visit! Heeheehee…"

The man was also a big contributor to finding inspiration for his precious work.

* * *

At the front gates of the Town of Axel, an adventuring party could be seen walking in the direction of the adventurer's guild. A young boy with a handsome face wearing shining blue armor and a large sword was closely followed by two female adventurers.

"You were amazing today, Kyouya! You defeated that hoard of White Wolves with a single swing!"

"I'm so glad you were able to get your magic sword back, Kyouya! You worked so hard to earn the money to get it back…"

The two girls fawned over the Sword Master when the memory of a certain male adventurer came to mind.

"Grr… I still can't believe that creep!"

"I know! Not only did he steal _my_ Kyouya's sword, but he even had the nerve to steal sell it for pocket change!"

"Yeah… Wait, what do you mean _your_ Kyouya!? He's mine!"

"No, he's mine!"

As the girls began to bicker with each other, Mitsurugi chuckled to himself in amusement.

The past few days had been rough… But now that he had his magic sword Gram in his hands again, it was time to get back on the road to becoming a hero!

"Now now, girls… I've already forgiven Kazuma-San, so try not to say such things behind his back."

"So kind!"

"As expected of _my_ Kyouya~!"

"What did you say!?"

Mitsurugi sighed as his companions started butting heads once more.

'Yeah, I heard Kazuma-San's party retrieved a mansion. That's good. Now my lady Aqua can rest in a manner that she deserves. But the only problem is…'

This man named Naruto Uzumaki.

As Mitsuru had been working for funds, he heard some rather disturbing rumors surrounding this man. But it wasn't until after buying back his sword from that delinquent, Dust, that Mitsurugi finally realize that Naruto may be a problem.

According to the rumors, Naruto was a womanizer. He was a man that sunk his teeth into all sorts of woman, regardless of age. The thirst of this man seemed to know no bounds.

But worst of all, one of the women he had seduced was lady Aqua herself.

This was something Mitsurugi would not let stand. As the goddess who had saved him and sent him on his quest to defeat the demon king, he had to protect her!

"Hey, do you girls know anything about a Naruto Uzumaki?"

Mitsurugi asked his companions, and the two ceased their squabbling upon hearing his voice.

"Naruto… The name sounds familiar."

"Oh! I once heard a detestable man named Naruto was juggling girls in the adventurer's guild!"

"Now I remember! He even recruited two cute girls for his party recently! That Dust guy is also in his party… They must have gotten some dirt on those poor girls and forced them into joining them."

That fiend! His companions never lied to him so these rumors must be true! He had to help Aqua and those two girls at all costs!

"Then it's settled! I'll teach this Naruto fellow what happens when you mistreat a woman!"

"Kyah! How noble!" X2

With that said, Mitsurugi pushed open the doors to the adventurer's guild and walked straight towards the reception stalls to get some information.

"Hello, Mitsurugi-San. I trust your extermination quest went smoothly?"

Luna asked with her usual professional smile. She could tell the man was not in a good mood, which was strange because Mitsurugi was quite the respectable adventurer. He rarely started trouble, minus the squabble with the Arch Priest that one time.

"Yes, thank you. But I am not here for that. I came to ask for any information you have regarding the adventurer Naruto Uzumaki-"

"Dense as a rock."

The receptionist responded without missing a beat.

"I-I see… But no matter how much resistances he has, there's nothing my magic sword can't cut. What else do you know?"

Mitsurugi further asked, to which Luna responded accordingly.

"He's a man that speaks his mind, even if he unknowingly leads other people on."

"Quick to manipulate people…"

"Oh yes, he's also quite stubborn."

"Won't give up on a target until they succumb to his wishes… That fiend!"

This situation was worse than he thought! If he didn't do something quickly… Who knows what that man was doing to his lady Aqua!

Luna sighed. She knew she was only being stubborn herself, and she was beginning to feel bad about giving Naruto the cold shoulder these past few days. But toying with a young maiden's heart was unforgivable!

"Don't worry, Luna-San! I will set that man straight, don't you worry!"

Mitsurugi shouted before taking off in a hurry, leaving a very confused receptionist.

"…Huh?"

A troubled feeling grew in Luna's stomach as years of working with adventurers called out to her intuition. But she dismissed the feeling as there was no way Mitsurugi would cause any real trouble.

After all, the man was a hero candidate.

* * *

"Fufufu… Naruto-Sama…"

A certain loli Succubus mumbled as she lay on one of the larger cushioned seats in the café. In her arms was an orange jacket in which she tightly clutched to her chest.

Normally a succubus would be quite busy at this time of day, but not Maria. Due to her consistent failures, the male adventurers rarely requested her services. So here she was, wasting her night away with Naruto's precious jacket.

Totally worth it.

In the midst of her fondling, a group of her fellow Succubus walked by her seat.

"We're going to be heading out on our nightly jobs soon. It seems no one has requested your services again so… Hey, what's that?"

The receptionist succubus asked when her eyes caught a flash of orange.

"Nothing! Good luck on your jobs tonight!"

Maria quickly hid the jacket under her tiny form and said, but it seemed she was quick enough to hide it as all eyes were on her.

"Is that… Naruto-Sama's jacket!?"

"What!? How did that child get her hands on such a treasure!?"

"L-let us have a turn with it!"

The Succubus all yelled and pounced on the poor girl in an attempt to retrieve the tattered old jacket.

"N-no! Stop! Naruto-Sama lent it to me! I have to protect it!"

*Rip*

"Waaaahhh!?"

* * *

 **Inside Naruto's Seal…**

Kurama glared at the bars that contained his very being.

Maybe it was because he was so used to this cage being open now, but seeing these bars again was really pissing him off.

'Tch! That brat… Forgetting to loosen the seal…'

Oh well, it wasn't that bad. It's not like there was anything exciting going on with his host to begin with.

Although, the old fox was beginning to get the feeling that something big was coming. Something that might even give the mightiest of the tailed beasts a good exercise.

Kurama was willing to wait for his idiot of a host to remember to loosen the seal again. Until then, the beast would sleep…

* * *

Naruto shuttered as his eyes opened to his dark room.

What was that? He felt some sort of… Disturbance? No, multiple disturbances. It was almost like he had dreamt of a series of unfortunate events that were about to unfold.

"What's the matter? Can't sleep?"

"No, just a bad dream… Wait."

Naruto flipped on his side to find someone else in his bed. It was dark, but his well-trained night vision kicked in just enough for him to make out blonde hair and blue eyes.

. . .

"Get out, Cecily!"

"Kyah~! How forceful~!"

Naruto swung his door open and pushed the priestess out and right into someone's arms. Yunyun, who was fidgeting in front of the door caught the laughing Cecily.

"Ah…!"

"Yunyun? How long have you been standing there?"

The shinobi asked while stifling a yawn. Despite the commotion, he was beginning to get used to people showing up in his apartment without his consent.

Did that make him strange?

"U-um… Sorry, Naruto-San! Cecily-San snuck into your room without your permission again, so I came over to stop her. But… The door was locked, and I wasn't sure if it was alright for me to come in without your permission! But I didn't want to wake you…"

Yunyun explained while struggling to meet Naruto's eyes.

Naruto sweatdropped. This girl was spending all that time… No, it wasn't Yunyun's fault. He should have woken up regardless from having someone else in his bed.

For a priestess, Cecily sure was stealthy. He made a habit to double check that his door and windows were locked, yet this girl still somehow managed to get in… Maybe it was time to take better precautions.

"That's okay, Yunyun. But it's okay to be a little stricter with Cecily, especially when it comes to times like this."

Naruto said while nodding sagely. That's right. You had to be firm with people like Cecily. This was something he was beginning to learn because of Kazuma and the way he kept his party members from getting out of hand.

"O-okay! I'll try!"

Yunyun said, taking every word of Naruto's to heart.

"Hey, I'm not a child! I'm a beautifully grown woman, and with the small price of converting to the Axis Cult, this voluptuous figure could be your-"

"No thanks. Goodnight."

*Slam!*

Naruto said before slamming his door shut, leaving the two girls alone in the darkened halls.

"…"

Cecily simply stood there, mouth agape, having been cutoff midsentence.

"N-now… Let's leave Naruto-San alone for tonight. I'm sure he's very tired from everything that happened with the bet-"

"How could any sane person deny such a deal!? Are you stupid? Surely this man's head must have had a few screws loosened by the Succubus that night!"

Yunyun tried to pull Cecily away, but the priestess continued to bang on the shinobi's door.

This continued until Yunyun finally grew so panicked, she cast Sleep on Cecily and carried her into her room.

* * *

 **A/N: Now that we've seen what some of the other characters are up to, it's time to move onto the next arc! I wonder what's going to happen next…**

 **I was watching the Konosuba English dub, which was actually very good might I add, and I realized that I mixed up a few of the events in the Konosuba timeline… It's nothing big, but it's a personal blow to my pride as a KonoSuba fan. T~T**

 **So, I'm going to go back and fix it! Just a minor detail, so let me know if you catch it! ;)**


	40. A Challenge Issued between 'Players'

**A/N: 1,500 Reviews! ^^**

* * *

"W-what should I do…"

"This is getting pretty bad, isn't it…"

Inside a certain shop that was known for its faulty magic items, Naruto and Wiz stared at a paper full of red numbers.

Naruto looked at his teary-eyed friend and sweatdropped. Wiz had a good heart, but her business sense was even worse than his. Just the other day, the shopkeeper had been tricked into buying a batch of slimes thinking they were medical slimes.

Medical slimes were rare slimes that had dissolved a certain amount of medical herbs that it changed their properties. Just one drop was enough to heal a scrape, and a whole bottle could potentially save a life.

Had Naruto been there, he would have-

'No… Even if I was there, I don't know if I would have been able to tell the difference between a normal slime and a medical slime. It says they're both green in the monster book Luna-Chan gave me.'

Naruto thought before sighing in defeat. There was nothing they could do about it now, so it was better to suck it up and move on.

"Alright! Time to come up with some ideas!"

"Eh? Ah, that's right! I promise to take responsibility for my actions!"

Wiz said sharply, her expression turning serious.

"Then, let's think of something the adventurers in this town could use on their adventures…"

Naruto said and rubbed his chin in thought when he felt a tap on his shoulder, and he turned to see Yunyun looking at them shyly. He was so busy talking with Wiz about the red digits that he almost forgot that the younger girl was there…

"Um… I-I don't know if it's okay for me to make any suggestions, but…"

Yunyun mumbled while poking her fingers together.

"If you have any ideas, then we'd be happy to hear them Yunyun-San!"

Wiz said with an eager smile, causing Yunyun to beam.

"Y-yes! There's a monster called the Nido Rabbit, and its foot is said to double one's luck when equipped."

"That sounds really useful… Why doesn't every adventurer have one?"

Naruto asked because having more luck would help adventurers find more treasure, wouldn't it?

"The Nido Rabbit is a rare monster. Even during my times as an adventurer, I've only ever seen a few. But if we were able to get our hands on a Nido Rabbit's foot…"

Wiz explained before trailing off, and Naruto could have sworn he saw dollar signs in her eyes.

"Then it's settled! Yunyun and I will go and capture one of these Nido Rabbits for you Wiz!"

Naruto declared before he started walking towards the door.

"Eh? But Nido Rabbits are very rare and dangerous monsters! Even if you somehow manage to find one, capturing it is a little…"

Wiz said worriedly, but the shinobi waved her off.

"We'll be fine! I'm confident we'll be able to find one, and Yunyun have her Sleep spell! We'll be back before the sun goes down! Come on, Yunyun. Let's go find those other two."

"O-okay!"

With that said, Naruto and Yunyun left the magic shop to gather their other party members.

Wiz was still a little worried, but somehow, she felt like Naruto would succeed in his quest.

After all, he was wearing _that_ magic item.

* * *

 **Adventurer's Guild…**

After stopping by the Axis Cult church to pick up Cecily, who had promised the day before to stay there and not go to the Eris Church to cause trouble, Naruto entered the guild and walked to the reception desks.

He entrusted Yunyun with the task of grabbing Dust, who was drinking alcohol in the middle of the day.

"H-hey, Luna-Chan!"

Naruto stuttered as he waved to the head receptionist, and mentally kicked himself for his slip of the tongue.

He didn't know what he did, but Luna was mad at him for some reason. She was probably still mad because of the fact that he didn't know what the reason was.

"Hello, Naruto-San. What can I do for you today?"

Luna asked with the same professional smile she gave the rest of the adventurers, confirming that she was in fact still upset.

But her smile seemed to be a little more natural than before, so Naruto was able to relax. If only a little…

"I was wondering where the best place to hunt Nido Rabbits was, and if I could also rent a cage?"

"Of course. The most recent Nido Rabbit sighting was just south of Hora Village, which is a few hours travel from here by carriage. As for the cage, the rental fee will be 10,000 Eris. You will be responsible for any major damages done to the cage."

Luna said in her unchanging professional tone as she slid the paper work for the cage over to the shinobi.

A few hours on carriage? It was almost noon, so by the time they would arrive at the village and found the beast after searching for a while, it would almost be night. Depending on how fast they found the Nido Rabbit, they might have to spend the night at Hora village.

But wait…

There was also the problem of convincing Dust and Cecily to come along, as they would surely expect some kind of reward in exchange for their help.

First, he would send a clone to tell Wiz they would be longer. In the meantime, he'll have to somehow convince Dust and Cecily… Wait, what if Kazuma wanted him to help them with a quest today!?

Naruto scratched his head irritably as he tried to come up with a solution.

Wiz needed help with the store, but he also promised to help Kazuma with the debts…

What should he do!?

Seeing Naruto's troubled state, Luna's professional expression faltered. It wasn't hard to guess what it was he was having trouble with.

Everyone in the guild knew that Naruto worked at the faulty magic store, and he was probably going to go look for a Nido Rabbit for its high selling foot to help the shop. But with the events that transpired yesterday with Kazuma's party, Luna also knew that Naruto promised to help Kazuma with his debt.

She had grown to learn how stubborn Naruto was at keeping his promises, so he was probably having trouble deciding which person to help.

Then there was the trouble of keeping his party members satisfied…

…Oh, to hell with her own stubbornness.

"Kazuma-San's party will not be coming today. It seems the Arch mage in his party has already let off their Explosion magic today."

"Oh yeah, the town did rumble a little earlier didn't it?"

"Yes, and if you're going to be going to Hora village then I recommend you take on this goblin slaying quest."

"That's a good idea. If I take a quest, I can look for the Nido Rabbit and still have a way to reward those two. I'll be killing two birds with one stone…"

Naruto pondered aloud, then blinked when he realized Luna seemed to be talking to him normally again.

"J-just so you know, I'm still mad you for before… But taking this quest would really help me since it's winter…"

Luna adverted her gaze when Naruto smiled at her.

"Hehe… Of course! Thanks Luna-Chan! Oh, and I'm sorry about before!"

Naruto said and took off to regroup with his party.

"W-wait! Does that mean you understand-!"

Luna started, but her voice was lost in noisy shouts of the adventurers. Her face went red to her ears when she noticed her fellow guild employees snickering at her.

"Ah, I forgot to tell him about Mitsurugi-San…"

* * *

"Halt! Are you the one whose called Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Yes, can I help you?"

Just as Naruto had managed to get his party onto the carriages, some weirdo had stopped them as soon as they were nearing the gates.

"Oh, thank the gods… I've been waiting here all morning. Anyways, my name is Mitsurugi Kyouya! I stand before you today in hopes that you will leave my Lady Aqua, and any other woman you've sunk your teeth into alone! If not, then I will fight for their freedom myself!"

Mitsurugi shouted and drew his large sword from its scabbard.

While this man was spouting out a bunch of nonsense, Naruto didn't care about any of it in the slightest. No, what had his attention was the sword the guy was holding.

Naruto didn't have to be in Sage Mode to sense the amount of power the was oozing from the large blade, and this excited him.

Could it be, after fighting weak monster after weak monster, he finally found another being that could prove a challenge?

"Ah! It's the handsome young man with a magic sword! Have you come to rescue me from the clutches of this evil beast!? I haven't had a good night's rest in weeks!"

"!"

Cecily suddenly started spouting even more nonsense when she stuck her head outside of the carriage, and Naruto almost fell off his seat.

"Ah! Boss, this is the guy that beat me up while you were off looking for a cute female mage to add to your harem!"

"!?"

Dust shouted from his side of the carriage, adding oil to the idiotic flames, and this time Naruto actually fell out.

"What are you two saying!? I'm not-"

"So, it's true! I didn't want to believe that a fellow adventurer would stoop so low as to blackmail woman into doing such things… But as a strong believer of justice, I cannot leave this be!"

Mitsurugi declared, cutting Naruto off completely.

"Wow… I feel bad for those girls."

"I once saw that man walking around town with Kazuma the Brute."

"Me too! They had some other girls covered in slime!"

"Kick his ass, Mitsurugi-Sama!"

Naruto stood up and dusted himself off. He could feel the scornful looks of all the woman who were within hearing range. But it didn't matter since his reputation in this town already wasn't the best anyways, and this situation might prove useful… In more ways than one.

"N-Naruto-San isn't-!"

Yunyun tried to muster the courage the defend her friend, but she stopped when Naruto sent her a reassuring smile.

"Prepare yourself, enemy of woman!"

Just as the sword master was about to charge, Naruto put a hand up.

"Alright, it seems you have a bone to pick with me. Even though I don't understand how you came to that conclusion…"

Naruto said, while mumbling the last part.

"What's this? Are you admitting defeat already? Then release the woman you're holding hostage!"

Mitsurugi demanded, earning a sweatdrop from the shinobi.

When did this turn into a hostage situation?

'Oh well, I can make this work.'

Naruto thought when a mischievous idea formed in his head.

"Ahem… So, it seems I've been caught red handed by the great… Mizurugu?"

"Mitsurugi! My name is Mitsurugi!"

Kyouya screamed in frustration.

Good, he was riled up. That made things easier…

"Ah, my bad. So then, Mitsurugi. You want me to let these lovely ladies go, but I don't. So why don't we make things interesting?"

Naruto asked while extending his hand as a friendly gesture.

"I'm listening…"

Mitsurugi said and relaxed a little but kept his sword on guard just in case. He didn't want to be caught by surprise like the last time he issued a challenge to a fellow adventurer.

"There's only one way for this situation to end peacefully… Let's have an official match! There's no better way to truly understand someone than to fight them with all you've got!"

Naruto declared loud enough for the ever-growing crowd to hear.

Mitsurugi stared at Naruto with a keen eye for a few seconds, before he finally relaxed and sheathed his sword.

"Very well. I suppose it's the honorable thing to do to let your opponent prepare."

When the sword master said that, Naruto smirk internally. This was good… Now the news of their fight would spread.

"Three days! We'll hold our fight in front of town gates in three days. Take that time to prepare, Misuzooki."

"It's Mitsurugi, and you best do the same. Until then, Naruto Uzumaki."

Mitsurugi said and walked past Naruto to go to the adventurer's guild, but not before looking back one last time.

"I promise you, I will free Aqua-Sama from your clutches."

"?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at that remark. He thought he heard the guy mention Aqua's name earlier, but could it be that this guy was doing all this because of her?

No, that couldn't be right… There was no way someone would go to such lengths for that loudmouthed bratty priestess.

After all, Aqua was Aqua.

* * *

A few hours later, Dust and Cecily were sleeping side by side after being scolded by Naruto.

Yunyun stared at the blonde nervously as the carriage continued to bump along the trail.

Would it be alright for her to say something supportive? Or would it be better for her to not say anything at all?

"Hm? Did you need something, Yunyun?"

"Ah…! W-why did you let those people believe in all those lies, Naruto-San?"

"Because, they wouldn't believe me even if I told them the truth. That's just the way it is."

Naruto said and shrugged.

"I see… I wish there was something I could do…"

Yunyun mumbled while looking at her feet dejectedly.

"That's okay, Yunyun. All I gotta do is prove that I'm not a fiend through my actions! I'll prove to this town that Naruto Uzumaki is the name of a hero!"

Naruto said while pounding his fist into his hand.

"As a Crimson Demon, Naruto-San sounded really cool just now… But I knew you were a good person all along! Those rumors are all lies! There's no way Naruto-San is a womanizer!"

Yunyun said with determined nod.

"That's right! Although it wouldn't be all that bad if it wasn't a lie…"

Naruto agreed while mumbling the last bit.

"I also know Naruto-San isn't a perverted beast that peaks on the woman's bath either!"

"Eh? People are saying that?"

"O-or an underwear thief!"

"P-please, Yunyun… Anymore and I think I'm gonna cry!"

* * *

With Naruto's overwhelming speed and Yunyun's variety of spells, the two of them slayed the goblins within moments upon finding them.

The problem now was finding their true target…

"Man, if only quests were this easy with my other party! I feel invincible right now!"

Dust said while reaching out towards the sky.

"You didn't do anything, Dust-San. The moment the goblins showed up and attacked, you ran and hid behind Naruto-San and I."

Yunyun retorted while sending the delinquent a flat expression.

"You know… For a weird Crimson Demon that's supposed to be shy, you sure are brutal when you talk to me… Did you fall for me or something?"

"O-of course not! How did you come to that conclusion!? Besides, why should I be nice to you when you called me a brat!?"

While the two continued to go at it, Naruto snickered to himself.

"Heh… Those two sure get along. Sort of reminds me of me and Sakura-Chan…"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Naruto shivered. He actually just compared himself to Dust…

"Who's this Sakura-Chan~? You're past lover?"

Cecily asked with curiosity flashing in her eyes.

'Crap… I forgot Cecily was right there.'

Naruto thought with a crooked smile as he tried to find a way to smooth things over. The last thing he needed right now was to give Cecily some dirt on him.

"Just an old friend of mine. Hey, Yunyun! Can you sense any monsters with your spell?"

While they were searching for Nido Rabbit, Yunyun offered to use one of her Advanced Magic spells that allowed her to sense nearby enemies. Similar to the Thief skill Sense Enemies, the Enemy Search spell allowed the user to search for nearby enemies as well as differentiate their threat levels.

"Nothing yet… O-oh! I can sense a strong enemy just across that stream-Ah! W-wait a second, Dust-San!"

Yunyun yelled when Dust suddenly took off running towards the water.

"Alright! Leave this to me, Boss! I'll make the Nido Rabbit submit to my might!"

Dust said as he ran across the ankle-deep stream. If he could defeat the rare monster by himself, the other would have no choice but let him keep one of the rabbit's feet for himself! Then he'd be able to swindle a rich merchant for a fortune!

After crossing the river coming to a stop near the bushes, Dust got on his hands and knees and crawled into the vegetation.

'Rabbit's foot! Rabbit's foot! Rabbit's food!'

Was all the boy could think as he carefully scanned the ground for a rabbit.

Then, he came to a stop when the bushes in front of him rustled slightly. Peeking his head out of the bush, he found a purple rabbit's foot and immediately pounced on it.

"Gotcha!"

Dust grabbed onto the foot and held on with all his might, and he was surprised when he felt just how soft and fluffy it was. He almost felt like he could fall asleep right then and there…

"Grrrr…"

"!"

Dust's eyes shot open and he looked up to see the very scary looking Nido Rabbit glaring at him.

Needless to say, the only thing cute about this horned rabbit was its feet…

'Ah… That's right… I should have known something was off when I could wrap my whole body around a rabbit's foot.'

Dust thought as sweat ran down his face.

"GROAAARRR!"

"WAHHHH! HELP ME BOOOSS!"

Upon hearing Dust's screams, Naruto broke into a sprint and ran across the stream. Just as he cleared the water, Dust's form broke free of the vegetation.

Along with the Nido Rabbit, who pushed a nearby tree down to create a path for itself.

"Cecily, check if Dust has any injuries! Yunyun, let's go!"

"Yes!" x2

After giving his party their orders, Naruto pulled out a kunai and engaged the furious Nido Rabbit. It was pretty big, but it didn't give off the same dangerous aura as the Winter Shogun.

Oh well, money was money.

Plus, he had the fight with Mitsurugi to look forward to. That magic sword gave him high hopes for a good fight.

* * *

 **A/N: I'd like to try and ease the hate on Mitsurugi. Sure, he misunderstood Kazuma and unjustly challenged him. But he's just that type of character, the "righteous hero" type of Isekai protagonist.**

 **Also, let's be fair. Kazuma brought his reputation upon himself. Especially with those hilariously grotesque hand gestures. XD**

 **See you all in the next one!**


	41. Take Thy Foot, My Dear Adventurers!

_Mother? Father? How are you doing? I'm doing well here in this new world… Is what I would like to say, but unfortunately your son is neck-deep in debt because of a couple problem children I found myself acquainted with._

 _First, I made the mistake of bringing a bratty goddess with me to this world instead of a cheat item or power that I could have used to live a trouble-free life. She's a lazy, loudmouthed, attention whore whose only strong points is healing and party tricks. On top of that, she is always complaining about having to work even though all the debt we're in is all her fault!_

 _Then I recruited a little girl from a renowned clan of mages. This clan is apparently known for their naturally high intelligence stat and vast mana reserves. My ass! This mage is only able to use one spell, and despite its incredible firepower it's completely useless! After one shot, she goes limp from mana exhaustion and doesn't even have the energy to stand! But even after I confronted her about this, the little brat refuses to learn any other spells! So much for having high intelligence and mana reserves!_

 _The last member of my party is female knight. She's just like those cool beauties I used to read about in manga… But don't let that fool you! Underneath that beautiful skin is a complete, and hopeless pervert! She keeps going on about protecting her party members and fellow adventurers, but all she wants to do is feel the pleasure of taking all the hits! The cool beauty I could have had to keep me sane, and I get a masochist! What a waste. I could have looked passed her weird personality, she's a beauty after all. But this fool can't swing a sword to save her life!_

 _But even though I say all this, it's not like I can just abandon them… It was my fault for choosing to bring the goddess with me. She doesn't have any offensive power and can't go back home to heaven until I defeat the Demon King. The mage likely wouldn't be able to find another party to take her, and her Explosion magic is quite reliable when strong enemies appear. As for the female knight… She is a beauty, so having her around isn't all that bad._

 _Oh, I guess there's one more person I should mention. A kouhai of mine, a guy that claims to have been a ninja in his past life. But he's got blonde hair, blue eyes, and has a mouth that's almost as big as the goddesses. On top of that, he wears bright oranges clothes. What kind of ninja wears orange? This guy obviously came from our world, but maybe he lived in a foreign country. America maybe? But this guy has proved to be one of the only people I could consider sane in this fantasy world, if not a little shonen-like. Unlike me, he chose to bring a cheat power to this world. Despite this, he still chooses to live in the Town of Beginners and helps an unfortunate shopkeeper I know. I also heard he helps the pretty receptionist Onee-Chan at the guild. He seems like a nice guy, but he often picks fights with my party members. Not so much the female knight, but more the goddess and the mage. He pulls a few pranks on them every now and then._

 _The guy recently formed a party of his own, bless his soul… A delinquent adventurer who would rather spend a night in a cell than pay for his dinner, a cute mage that actually knows how to use magic but has no social skills to speak of, and a priestess from a cult that follows a religion that the goddess in my party is worshiped as its figurehead._

 _I'd trade parties without hesitation, if only for the mage. But like I said, I can't just abandon those problem children of mine. That, and I don't think the self-proclaimed ninja would be able to handle those three by himself… I've become quite the responsible man, haven't I?_

 _Well, it's time for me to set off on my next adventure. The ninja promised to help my party settle our debts, so we might just be saved yet. Take care, my beloved parents._

 _Your son, Kazuma._

* * *

"…Oi. Get up. We need to go on a quest today."

"Don't wanna… It's cold outside and the fire's cozy."

"…"

"Now, now… if you're gonna stand there and bask in my godly presence, you might as well make yourself useful and fetch me some wine-Wah!"

After kicking the lady goddess off her thrown in front of the fire, Kazuma turned around to face his other party member that was sitting at the living room table by herself.

"Hey, Megumin. Where's Darkness?"

"How dare you push a goddess to the cold floor!"

Ignoring the noisy "goddess", Kazuma continued to stare at the little girl for an answer. Megumin seemed to be on the same page, as she was itching to go out on a quest as well.

"Darkness said there was a commotion in the town and went to investigate it. She should be back any minute now."

"I see… We'll head out to the guild when she gets back, so go get your things Aqua-"

Just as he began to give orders to Aqua, who was trying to sneak her way towards the stairs, the front doors swung open as a flustered Darkness stormed in wearing her recently fixed armor.

"Kazuma! Kazuma!"

"Yes, I'm Kazuma."

"I heard there was a commotion in town so I went to investigate in hopes of finding trouble! But what I found was Naruto doing something amazing!"

Darkness said while pointing towards the door. Her face was flushed, so she must have ran the whole way over. Just what was Naruto doing that made a woman like Darkness so excited?

His former shut-in instincts screaming at him, Kazuma felt a sudden urge to stay home in his cozy mansion. Unfortunately, staying home

But first-

"Did you just say you were hoping to find trouble?"

"You must be imagining things. But we must hurry and go to Wiz's magic shop!"

Darkness denied without missing a beat.

Aqua's ears twitched at the mentioning of her two least favorite people in town.

"That perverted demon and filthy lich must be plotting something! Don't worry, I'll put an end to their schemes!"

"H-hey, Aqua! Where you-"

Kazuma tried to stop his party's priestess, but she was already out the door before he could even react.

Oh well. At least she was out of the house now.

"Kazuma! Kazuma!"

"Yes, still Kazuma…"

"I want to go see what Naruto is up to as well! Can we go? Can we?"

Megumin asked like a child asking to her parent to go outside.

"I guess we can go… But don't forget we're taking on a quest today. Our debt just tripled…"

"Of course! Actually, I'm glad to see this new Kazuma! It's not often the man who sealed himself in his room for three straight days and nights to be the one to say we're taking a quest!"

"Indeed! This is much better than the Kazuma who would only come out of his room to sexually harass a drunk party member-"

"Okay, I get it! Let's just go already!"

* * *

"What… Is that!?"

Now standing at the back of a large crowd in front of Wiz's Magic Item Shop, Kazuma stared wide eyed at the front where a large cage stood that was covered by a cloth.

Next to the cage was Naruto himself, who was currently busy preaching to the crowd like a business man.

"Gather around, my fellow adventurers! My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I have a special deal I want to share with you all! But first, I'd like to thank my friend Wiz for sponsoring this event! She's the owner of this magic item shop! So be sure to visit the store later for all your needs magic related!"

Naruto said while gesturing to Wiz, who was standing at the foot of her shop. Her face was beet-red, but she managed to strain a smile as she waved to the crowd.

The sponsorship was just a front, and excuse to get the shop's name out there. The real money making strategy was about to begin.

Phase one… Go!

"Now then, shall we reveal what's inside this thing here?"

Naruto said before he pulled the cloth off the cage, and the crowd gasped in awe.

Inside the cage stood terrifying beast that faintly resembled a purple rabbit. That is, if a rabbit was ten-feet tall and had teeth that looked like they could gnaw through steel.

"This is a very rare Nido Rabbit! As you may have heard, a Nido Rabbit's foot can double, or even triple one's luck! For a reasonable price of four-hundred thousand Eris, I'll be more than happy to get one for you!"

This did not get a good response from the crowd. As to be expected, considering most of the adventurers present were newbies. To them, four-hundred thousand Eris was a small fortune!

But Naruto wasn't deterred in the slightest. In fact, his foxlike grin seemed to grow.

"I thought this would happen. Which is why I am prepared to offer you brave adventurers a chance to get the foot for cheap! For just ten-thousand Eris, you can step into this cage and try to take the foot yourself!"

The moment the words left the shinobi's mouth, the adventurers began to whisper amongst themselves. The cage was certainly large enough to hold the rabbit and an adventurer with room to spare for them to move. But just one look at the beast was enough to cause hesitation.

'What kind of lunatic would want to get into a cage with a terrifying monster like that!?'

Kazuma thought with eyes wide with terror, but then he heard a clanking sound and he turned to find Darkness shuttering in her armor.

"Ten-thousand Eris… Huff! Isn't a bad deal at all!"

'There's a lunatic right next to me!'

Before Kazuma could talk some sense into his party member, the adventurers roared.

"If our town's ideal knight thinks so, then who are we to cower in fear!?"

"Look at her! She's trembling with excitement! Our Darkness must be eager to get her hands on such a rare item!"

"Let's get that foot!"

"OH!"

Just like that, a line of adventurers began to form in front of the cage, with Darkness at the front.

Naruto stifled his laughter by pretending to cough into his shoulder. He didn't expect Darkness to show up and rile the adventurers up like that. But thanks to her, he was sure to make a profit from all this!

But the line still wasn't long enough… Onto phase two of his plan!

"Alright then, my fellow adventurers! I wish you luck! But before we begin, I want to explain a few things. I don't want to scare you, but this monster is strong! My party had a hard time containing it. Someone is bound to get hurt before the day is through, which is why I have entrusted these two lovely ladies to heal those who attempt and fail to obtain the foot. Free of charge!"

The shinobi said and gestured to Cecily and Aqua, who were standing behind a booth of their own.

'Aqua!? What's she doing over there!?'

Kazuma thought, baffled at the sight of his party's Arch Priest at the healing booth. Didn't Aqua leave to stop whatever Naruto was doing? How did he convince her to help him!?

Naruto glanced at Aqua, who pouted upon seeing his gaze. He surprised when Aqua had suddenly showed up and started talking nonsense about 'secrets plans' and other things. But she had a quick change of heart when he had offered to reward her if she helped Cecily with the healing. It was then the goddess's attitude made a complete flip.

It was strange how obedient Aqua was whenever wine or money was involved.

"If that's not enough to convince you of your safety, I also have my other two party members who will be in charge of restraining the beast should we need to! One of which, is a talented Crimson Demon who knows Advanced Magic! Right now, she's even keeping it bound by her magic!"

Naruto continued, and this time he gestured to Yunyun and Dust. Both stood on each sides of the cage.

Dust gave the crowd a thumbs up, while Yunyun blushed and shyly held her head low.

"With the help of my friends, I do believe your lives won't be in any danger. But being the brave adventurers that you are, I'm sure you weren't afraid to begin with! Hahahaha!"

While Naruto laughed, most of the adventurers in the still growing line adverted their gazes.

Kazuma couldn't believe what he was seeing. Naruto not only convinced these people into getting in line by ensuring their safety, but he also provoked them into staying in line by attacking their pride as adventurers.

'To think I once thought this guy was normal…'

Kazuma thought as he watched the cackling shinobi walk towards the cage that held a dangerous monster with Darkness in tow.

"We need to go stop Darkness before she actually goes in there! Come on, Megumin… Huh? Megumin?"

Noticing the mage of his party was no longer standing, Kazuma scanned the crowd to find her.

"!"

He found the girl waiting in line nervously.

"What the hell do you think you're doing idiot!?"

Kazuma shouted and rushed over to Megumin, yanking her out of the line.

"I-I'm sorry Kazuma! But as a Crimson Demon, I cannot stand by as that man insults my pride! I am an adventurer too! Let me go in there, I'll blast that Rabbit away with my Explosion!"

"Yeah, along with all of us and half the town! Come on, let's go get Darkness!"

Kazuma retorted and proceeded to drag Megumin through the crowd towards the front.

"Alright, first person in line gets in for free! But are you sure wish to enter the cage, Darkness?"

Naruto asked as he unlocked the cage's door.

"Of course! As a Crusader, I must lead the charge of my allies! Oh, but don't worry about restraining the beast. I'm quite confident in my defenses. Even if my strikes don't hit their target, I can more than surely take a few hits. In fact, I'm looking forward to it!"

Darkness said with a flushed face, causing the shinobi to sweatdrop.

"W-well, if you say so… Let the battle begi-"

"Darkness! Wait a second!"

Just as Naruto opened the cage and Darkness was about the enter, Kazuma and Megumin emerged from the crowd.

"Oh, hey Kazuma! Have you come to try and take the foot for yourself? Sorry, but you'll have to get in line!"

Naruto said with a cheeky grin on his face, but Darkness frowned at her party leader's words.

As the two began to argue, Megumin took the opportunity to walk over to Yunyun. She had some questions to ask her first rival.

"Don't try to stop me, Kazuma! I will be the first to enter this cage! I need to set an example for our fellow adventurers! Don't worry, I'm confident in my defenses in close-quarters combat!"

Darkness heatedly said, but Kazuma wasn't having any of it.

"What nonsense are you spouting!? This is ludicrous no matter how you look-"

"No, I must! This beast must have been trapped in this cage for so long… Huff! Huff! Its animalistic urges must be running rampant right about now! The presence of a female might trigger something amazing!"

The Crusader insisted, her breaths turning ragged as she stared at the growling Nido Rabbit.

"Whose urges are running rampant here!?"

Kazuma spouted before turning to Naruto who shared a similar expression.

"Come on, Naruto. I know Wiz's shop isn't doing so good… But there's gotta be another way."

"Don't worry, Kazuma. Darkness will be fine, and you know how good Aqua is at healing. Oh, and not all the profits are going towards the shop. I plan to put my share towards your debts."

"Then I guess it can't be helped. Go for it, Darkness!"

Kazuma cheered for his party member and Naruto signaled for Yunyun to release her binding spell before opening the door, to which the female knight charged inside and drew her two-handed sword.

"Come and get me, monster!"

"GROARR!"

With its binds undone, the Nido Rabbit swung its large paws at Darkness. She raised her weapon to block the incoming attack, but the force proved too much for her smaller frame as she was hurled into the bars of the cage like a ragdoll.

"Guh! I knew you would be as tough as you looked! But don't let me down!"

Darkness said as she used her sword as a crutch to help herself off the ground. She then charged in for a swing, but her despite the enclosed space she was in her sword was just short of the beast and hit the cage with a loud clang.

Their encounters continued for a few more minutes, all of which consisting of Darkness getting flung around back and forth as if she were a weightless prop.

"Alright, Yunyun! Bind it!"

Naruto said when Darkness plowed into the bars again, only this time she looked like she was really struggling to stand back up. It seemed she had reached her limits.

"R-right! Bind!"

Yunyun, who seemed to be in a flustered state, pointed her short staff towards the beast. After chanting her spell, the Nido Rabbit's movements ceased almost immediately.

Naruto then walked into the cage and helped the fallen knight off the ground by putting one of her arms around his shoulder.

Stepping out of the cage with the girl, Naruto turned to face the adventurers.

"I'll take Darkness to the healing stall. For those who wish to avenge her, talk to this guy."

Naruto said and cocked his head towards Kazuma, who blinked in surprise.

"Eh?"

"Lemme in there!"

"Even though you didn't land a single hit, we'll finish what you started Darkness!"

"Avenge our model knight!"

As the rowdy adventurers swarmed the now panicking Kazuma, Naruto chucked and helped Darkness over to the healing stall where Aqua and Cecily awaited their arrival.

"As a knight whose only strong suit is tanking, you did good. Even I had trouble blocking that thing's attacks when I was sparing with it this morning to tire him out for this."

The shinobi said with a cheeky grin.

"Sparing with it… I guess shouldn't be surprised. You did take down those Silver Wolves rather easily back then."

Darkness responded with a smile, causing her fellow blonde's cheeks to redden.

"You know, if you weren't so weird I might have actually fallen for you Darkness."

"!"

Reaching the healing stall, Naruto placed the now sputtering Darkness onto one of the many benches. They would be filled to the brim soon enough.

"T-thank you for carrying me here… But don't worry, I'll be getting back in line as soon as Aqua heals my wounds."

"No problem-Wait, what?"

Swearing he had just heard something strange, Naruto looked back at Darkness who was now conversing with Aqua and Cecily.

Shrugging it off, the shinobi walked back over to Kazuma who was surely in dire need of his help.

* * *

 **A/N: Who knew Naruto would come up with a business plan like this on his own?**

 **Or was it on his own? Hm…**

 **On a side note, Jump Force is looking HYPE! Jotaro and Dio were just recently added to the roster and they look good! Now I only need Oga Tatsumi from Beelzebub and the roster will be perfect! XD**

 **Alrighty then, see you in the next one!**


	42. A Revelation at this Succubus Café!

**A/N: So, I noticed another minor error in the story… Kazuma's party's debt is actually 40,000,000 Eris. Since it doesn't really affect the story all that much, I have corrected this mistake. -_-'**

* * *

"That should do it."

Naruto said to his clones as they placed the cage that had previously contained the Nido Rabbit onto a carriage. He then turned around to see the wonderful sight that was Aqua and Cecily running scurrying around to heal the wounded adventurers at their stall.

It took them awhile, a good bribe, to get them to take their jobs seriously. But seeing the two Axis Cultists working so hard sure warmed his heart.

A little more than an hour had passed since Naruto had opened the cage to the adventurers, but all of them had either been defeated or forfeited the challenge the moment they set foot in the cage.

Of course, there were no refunds.

Some of the people who had chickened out last second didn't take too kindly to this. But they were quick to let it go after Naruto swiftly defeated the Nido Rabbit after the last challenger had left the cage.

Ten-thousand Eris wasn't worth fighting a man who could one-shot a monster who could one-shot you.

Naruto looked at the bag that contained his earnings with a smirk. The plan had worked better than he ever could have hoped.

"That cloning skill sure is convenient... But anyways, how did you come up with all this?"

Kazuma walked up to Naruto and asked. Normally he would complain about being dragged into working so suddenly, but Naruto did say some of the earnings would go towards the debt. Besides, maintaining a line sure beat hunting strong monsters in the snow.

"I was actually going hunt a bunch of those guys for their feet, but we only found three yesterday. Even if I somehow managed to sell all the feet... It just wouldn't be worth the time."

Naruto explained while gesturing towards the empty cage.

"Wait, aren't you selling the feet for four-hundred thousand Eris each? If you sold all of them…"

Kazuma asked, but his sentence trailed off when he saw Naruto's amused expression.

"No matter how you look at them, those things aren't worth that much. Sure, they increase your luck by a lot. But they're way too big for an adventurer to carry around comfortably. I'd be lucky to get four-hundred thousand Eris for all six feet, if anyone were to buy them at all."

Naruto explained with a shrug.

Kazuma couldn't help but agree. The foot was almost as big as a person's torso, which would make carrying it around quite a hassle. That's why Naruto used such a high price before riling the adventurers up with a challenge.

Heck, most of the adventurers that came probably didn't even need a Nido Rabbit's foot. But they've been lazing around the guild's tavern ever since the Dullahan's attack and were probably itching for a fight.

After all, they were adventurers.

Ten-thousand Eris was a small price to pay to satisfy their urge for battle.

There was also Darkness who had played a big part in sinking the deal, but...

"But how did you know the adventurers would answer the challenge? This might not mean much coming from me, but they're quite lazy right now since it's winter and they still have money left over from the victory with the Demon King Army General."

Kazuma said while trying to keep his voice low enough to avoid picking a fight with one of the so called 'lazy adventurers'.

"As much as I'd like to claim it was all my plan, the person who came up with this challenge was actually Luna-Chan."

"The pretty receptionist Onee-San?"

"Yup! Luna-Chan said that Nido Rabbit feet often don't sell despite their rarity due to their size, so she helped me come up with this plan when I said I was trying to earn money for the store! Although, she seemed a little upset after I mentioned Wiz. I wonder why?"

Naruto admitted while scratching at his whisker marks, earning a sweatdrop from his fellow male.

'The guild lady gave Naruto permission to do something as reckless as this AND she's jealous!? Why aren't I getting special treatment like that!?'

Kazuma thought with a twitching eyebrow, his mind burning with jealousy. He wondered why the city's police was letting Naruto run such a dangerous stall.

Seriously, what nerve! His party played a big role in the defeat of the Dullahan, and yet, the only thing he got from the receptionist was a big fat bill!

…But now wasn't the time for such thoughts.

"How much did we earn?"

"I'll have to split the earnings evenly later, but the shop should be out of the red. For now anyway…"

Naruto said, and the two boys glanced over at Wiz.

The shopkeeper was talking to a few customers who had visited her shop due to Naruto's Nido Rabbit event. But they seemed to be straining their smiles as the girl was showing them a certain magical item.

"…You have my condolences."

Kazuma said, earning a sweatdrop from the shinobi.

As Naruto and Kazuma continued to talk about their plans on concerning the debt, a certain pair of Crimson Demons were talking on the other side of the carriage.

"I thought something was suspicious! Who would have thought Naruto had something like that in his possession-Mmff!"

Megumin started shouting, but she was quickly muffled by the other mage.

"K-keep your voice down, Megumin! If Dust-San and Cecily-San found out, they won't want to go on quests with us anymore!"

Yunyun begged as Megumin pried her hands off.

"Pwah! Calm down, I wasn't planning on telling anyone. Sheesh… When did you become so willful? Is that man leading you down the wrong path? Give me a second, I'll straighten him out."

Megumin said and started walking towards Naruto.

"Naruto-San is my friend! He would never lead me down the wrong path!"

Yunyun denied while pulling on Megumin's cape to keep her from leaving.

"Hah? Your friend? I've been meaning to ask, but what do you think about Naruto? How did you two even meet?"

Ever since Naruto had returned from the Crimson Demon Village with Yunyun, Megumin had always wondered how the socially awkward girl managed to get into his party. Ever since they were little, Megumin always believed Yunyun would be a loner. That's why she decided to be her rival in the first place.

"W-well, the day Naruto-San arrived at the Crimson Magic Village we met inside of a shop. He was looking for a mage to join his party and that was when I also found out that he was the pupil of Ero-Senin. But unlike that thing, Naruto-San was really nice! But I couldn't muster the courage to ask if I could join his party, so I-"

As Yunyun continued to tell her story, Megumin listened with a flat look on her face.

The little girl didn't know what it was, but watching Yunyun talk about Naruto with such a happy expression was pissing her off.

"That's nice and all, but I've been living with a boy under the same roof for about a week now. You could imagine what kind of things happen when such a situation occurs."

Megumin bragged while shaking her head, causing her fellow Clansman to cough on her spit.

"I-I was aware that you were living under the same roof as Kazuma-San, but do you two have that sort of… I-i-intimate relationship!? Has Megumin finally crossed the line because a man gave her a place to stay and food to eat!?"

Yunyun stammered while pointing an accusing finger at her rival.

"I was only referring to accidents that happen when a boy and girl live together! Harmless accidents like walking in on someone changing!"

"So you admit you saw each other naked!? Aren't there other girls living in that mansion as well? How shameless can you get over food, Megumin!?"

"How did you reach such a conclusion!? Are you stupid? Anyone with a shred of common sense would know that!"

Megumin threw her hands into the air and shouted, but Yunyun wasn't having any of it and stamped her foot on the ground.

"I don't want to hear about common sense from you! Megumin is always quick to blowing her top and using Explosion magic at the worst possible moments just to show off!"

Yunyun shot back, and this time Megumin stomped her foot in frustration.

"Oh! Look at Yunyun, acting high and mighty just because she made a friend that's not a rock! I was going to turn a blind eye to all that nonsense, but then you sullied the name of Explosion! Let's settle this here and now!"

"I couldn't agree more-Hey! L-let go of me Megumin! As mages, we should have a battle of magic! M-magic I say!"

Megumin's response was pouncing on Yunyun and pulling on her hair.

* * *

It took a while to break the two mages from each other, but with the help of Darkness, Naruto and Kazuma managed to restrain their party members.

"Alright, why are you two fighting all of a sudden?"

Kazuma asked the two Crimson Demons who were now sitting in front of him and Naruto seiza-style.

"Yunyun was acting smug about having a male friend and was rubbing it in my face."

"Wha-!"

Megumin instantly responded accordingly, prompting Yunyun to look at her rival with a look of shock.

"Yunyun wouldn't do that. It was probably just Megumin trying to pick a fight. She's probably still mad over our Explosion dual and wanted to take out her frustrations on Yunyun."

"!"

Naruto while eyeing Megumin, who was suspiciously avoiding his gaze.

Kazuma looked at the shinobi with raised eyebrows, impressed that he managed to discover Megumin's true intensions as fast as he had. Maybe there was still hope for the guy in the realm of sanity.

"Th-that's right, Naruto-San! Megumin and I were supposed to have a fair dual, but she unfairly tackled me! Although, it's to be expected. Megumin only knows one useless spell and has to rely on brute force…!"

Yunyun said while looking directly at Megumin, whose ears were now turning bright red.

"That does sound like something Megumin would do. She hasn't fired off Explosion yet today, so maybe she's just a little frustrated."

Kazuma deducted, earning nods from the others which caused Megumin to finally snap.

"Whose side are you on!? Isn't this the part where you defend your party members!? Also, who are you calling frustrated!? Give me back my staff and I'll show you what true frustration looks like!"

The little girl barked and lunged towards Kazuma who had been the one to confiscate her staff, but she was quickly subdued by Darkness.

"Now, now, Megumin. You need to save your Explosion for the powerful monsters we'll be facing on today's quest. Naruto is coming with us so Kazuma gave us the green light to pick a hard one!"

Darkness gushed with anticipation clear on her face.

"No way. We earned enough money for today, so I'm going out to drink."

Kazuma instantly rained on the knight's parade before turning towards his fellow male.

"Naruto, you should come too. It'll be my treat!"

"Sure, but I gotta drop this cage off at the guild first."

Naruto accepted and moved to the front of the cart to pull the thing, but not before waving goodbye.

"W-wait! What about the quest? The monsters!"

Darkness pleaded for Kazuma to reconsider, but the boy turned on his heel and waved behind his back.

"No way…"

"There, there… We can get back at that man as soon as he comes home. Let's soak his pajamas in Aqua's favorite."

Megumin consoled the older woman while suggesting horrible things.

Yunyun sighed. She wanted to go with Naruto, but she didn't want to intrude. Maybe Wiz wouldn't mind talking to her?

* * *

"Why are you following us, Dust? Just so you know, I'm only treating Naruto."

"That's cruel, Kazuma my friend. I thought we were drinking buddies."

Just as they were leaving for the guild, Dust pulled up to their side and claiming that he wanted to come with. Knowing this man, he was probably trying to get a free drink off Kazuma who was in a good.

"But that's not why I followed you guys. After all that money we made from that Nido Rabbit, I think we should go all out to celebrate!"

Dust suggested, earning suspicious gazes from the other two males.

Hearing this from the guy that not only failed to help in the capturing of the Nido Rabbits, but also got in the way by picking fights with the adventurers who were waiting in line was a little concerning.

Noticing their doubtful looks, Dust panicked and ran in front of them.

"Don't look at me like that! I won't ask you to treat me, I promise! Look, I have money of my own this time! I won't be treating you, though."

"Are you making fun of us? What are you going to buy with four-hundred Eris?"

Kazuma asked upon seeing the crumpled bills and dirty coins in Dust's hands. At most, the guy would be able to buy a cheap mug of beer at the guild.

"Hehe… Come here, I'll let you in on a little secret my friend. Did you know this town has a shop owned by Succubus?"

Dust leaned into Kazuma and Naruto before whispering into their ears.

"…Tell me more."

'Uh oh…'

Naruto thought when he saw that Kazuma's expression had turned dead serious.

* * *

Naruto found himself standing in front of a certain café once again. Only this time he wasn't alone.

"This is the place! It may look like a normal café, but the real shop in back here…"

Dust explained and gestured for Naruto and Kazuma to follow him into the alley next to the shop.

Kazuma gulped nervously but made sure not to fall behind the delinquent adventurer.

Naruto sighed, but he accepted his fate and followed his friends into the alleyway. He needed to get his jacket back from Maria anyway, might as well be now while he had friends to back him up in case things went south.

Upon entering a semi-hidden door on the side of the building, the three boys were greeted with the sight of a large open room. Adventurers could be seen walking around or sitting in a booth, but that's not what drew their attention.

No, their eyes were glued on the scantily dressed woman that were wandering about.

Naruto on the other hand was already on edge because to him, this was the enemy's base of operations.

Despite learning that the Succubus meant no harm to the men of Axel thanks to Maria, the Succubus still posed a threat to Naruto himself. Or at least in other ways…

Kazuma and Dust were all but drooling at the revealing clothes that the lesser devils were wearing until three Succubus walked up to them.

"Welcome to our café, gentleman. Please, come this way."

Naruto watched his friends walk off with the two beauties cautiously until it was just him and the all too familiar Receptionist Succubus.

"Are you still weary of us, Naruto-Sama? You should know by now that we mean no harm. We only want to _serve_ the men of Axel and relieve them of their pent-up _stress_."

The pink haired devil walked over to the blonde and whispered into his ear, brushing her bosom against his arms to emphasize certain words.

Naruto felt a shiver run up his spine, but he shook his head and took a swift step away from the temptress.

"I won't let you temp me, Succubus lady! I'm only here to talk to Maria. Is she here?"

The receptionist succubus's eyes widened upon hearing this. Maria revealed her name? What a troublesome child…

"It would be quite inconvenient for you to call me 'lady', so I shall reveal my name to you as well. My name is Morrigan… Please take care of me, Naruto-Sama."

"Ah, okay… W-wait, what?"

Naruto tilted his head in confusion when the now named Morrigan suddenly bowed deeply in front of him. But before he could question the woman, he heard a sharp gasp to his right.

Maria was standing there with her hands covering her gaping mouth. She was wearing his orange jacket, but due to her skimpy clothes underneath it looked like she was _only_ wearing the jacket.

"W-w-what are you doing!?"

"It would be quite troublesome if you were to hold a monopoly on Naruto-Sama, so I have done the same as you and revealed my name. I trust you won't mind sharing, little one?"

Morrigan cooed and slipped one of Naruto's arms into chest.

"H-hey, let go of me… But wait, is there something special about you guys telling me your names?"

Naruto asked when he realized Maria's behavior was quite strange.

Maria looked at the ground and fumbled with her fingers, all the while stealing shy glances at the shinobi.

"W-when a lesser devil like us reveals our names to a human, it's the same as signing a contract with them. We devils take contracts very seriously, so… Please take care of me too, Naruto-Sama!"

"…Eh?"

Naruto's jaw dropped when Maria revealed such a serious revelation and bowed deeply.

Names? Contracts? Huh?

But then a thought occurred to the blonde, so he asked with haste.

"But I thought you Succubus thought I was a devil!"

"Oh, we know you are human. But that is only temporary… A human turning into a devil isn't unheard of in this world. As your loyal servants, we will make sure to awaken the devil that resides inside of you. So rest assured, _Master~_!"

Morrigan corrected her 'master' with a sultry voice, and a cold sweat ran down Naruto's back.

How did this happen!?

* * *

 **A/N: That's a wrap! Naruto now has too Succubus servants! Maria, and the newly named Morrigan who are the newbie succubus and the receptionist succubus respectively!**

 **Next chapter, we're going back to Kazuma manner where a lovely dinner awaits courtesy of the Dustiness family! But what's going to happen afterwards?**

 **On a side note, 1,600 review! Thank you all for reviewing!**

 **See you in the next one!**


	43. Pandora's Box

_Call upon us, should you need our services. Master~!_

Is what Maria and Morrigan had told Naruto before he had left the shop.

Two Succubus servants… He now had TWO Succubus servants.

Naruto had been so surprised by this that he had even forgotten to reclaim his long-lost jacket once again.

He didn't want any servants, nor did he need any. Especially when he had just deemed one a friend and the other simply wanted to seduce him for his non-existent 'true form'. It didn't matter how hard they pled, he would not give in to his desires!

. . .

What? Naruto Uzumaki was not that easy of a man!

Any other man would break their necks to be in the situation he was in, and Naruto was fully aware of this fact. But there was no way who he would be able to call upon the two girls for their _services_!

 _It was the moral thing to do!_

 _Accepting them would be unfair to all men!_

 _You'd be taking advantage of them!_

…These were the excuses Naruto found himself thinking since leaving the Succubus shop.

Because what exactly did he have to lose? They were the ones who forced this apparent contract onto him, and they actually seemed to want him for who he was. At least Maria seemed to be this way.

The more Naruto thought about the situation, the more he realized he had very little reason to refuse the Succubus.

"Cheers!" x3

Megumin, Aqua, and Darkness shouted un unison, bringing Naruto back to reality.

They were all seated in the mansion's dinning hall table, with a large feast in front of them.

Kazuma had invited Naruto over for dinner to thank him for helping out with his party's debt. But apparently, Darkness's family had sent them a crab feast to congratulate them on moving into the mansion.

"What's the matter, you two? Is marbled red crab not to your liking?"

Darkness asked worriedly when she noticed Naruto and Kazuma were staring off into space.

"Oh, sorry. I was just wondering how the crab was going to taste. It's been so long since I've eaten seafood…"

Kazuma lied, because he anxious for his Succubus service tonight as he didn't know what to expect. Never in his dreams did he imagine such an amazing service could exist in this blasphemous world!

"N-no, of course it is! Sorry… This is actually the first time I've ever been invited over to a friend's home for dinner, so I was just a little nervous."

Naruto replied while scratching at his whisker marks awkwardly, and he technically wasn't lying. Not once in his years did he eat dinner under another person's roof when he was home back in the Konoha.

"Well you're more than welcome to stay the night if it gets too late."

Darkness said with a smile, earning a nervous nod from the shinobi.

"Sheesh… You sound like Yunyun right now. No wonder you two get along so well."

Megumin chimed as she grabbed one of the many crabs and cracked a leg open, revealing its fluffy pink meat.

"You could have invited Yunyun as an apology for picking on her earlier, ya know?"

Naruto said with a twitching eyebrow. Weren't those two supposed to be childhood friends? From all the stories Yunyun had told him about their past, and despite how cruel Megumin acted sometimes, Naruto could tell the two really cared for one another.

"I did mention we were having a special dinner tonight, but all she said was "Is that so?" and "How nice". Honestly, what am I going to do with that dishonest child?"

Megumin shook her head before slurping the crab right out if its shell and squealed in delight at its marvelous flavor, which caused the others to dig into their own plates.

Breaking the shell of his own crab legs and taking a bite, Naruto's eyes shot open when the meat seemingly melted in his mouth. Out of all the food he had consumed since coming to this world, this was by far the most delicious thing he had tasted.

"You know, I've been wondering for awhile now… But where did you come from, Naruto? If you don't mind me asking of course!"

Darkness asked, and quickly added the last bit when Naruto sent her a questioning look.

"*Slurp!* Well, I came from a village of ninjas! The Village Hidden in the Leaves!"

Naruto stated proudly before going back to scarfing down as much crab as he could.

"That's another thing I've been meaning to ask, but what's a ninja?"

"!"

When Darkness asked her second question, Naruto almost choked on his crab and had to pound at his chest to force it down.

That's right, he almost forgot the majority of this world's population didn't know what a ninja was. Everyone he mentioned the term to either thought he was a weirdo, or just didn't care about what he was saying. Sometimes both.

The Crimson Demons knew what ninjas were due to Jiraiya's influence, so he didn't have to explain anything to Yunyun. He guessed Dust and Cecily were among those who simply didn't care…

"A ninja is a warrior from my home country who specializes in stealth, much like a thief. But mainly focus on swift assassinations from the shadows."

Kazuma explained as he watched Naruto desperately take in air.

"Oh? Naruto and Kazuma came from the same country? Did you two know each other back then as well?"

Darkness asked, intrigued as to learn about the two boy's pasts since they rarely spoke of it, if not at all.

"No! I'm from a country called the Elemental Nations! A nation of ninja and samurai! But for some reason, Kazuma doesn't believe me!"

Naruto shouted while pointing at Kazuma with an accusing finger, but his fellow male simply rolled his eyes.

Oh, that was strike one…

"Yeah, yeah… We know you like say that-"

"No, he's telling the truth Kazuma. I used to watch over that world so I could watch awesome ninja battles!"

Aqua interjected, causing the brown-haired boy to gawk.

"Eh? What do you mean? There's another world out there besides mine?"

Kazuma pressed for answers, but he was ignored as Aqua turned to face the shinobi.

"But more importantly, I learned something interesting today! Naruto apparently had a girlfriend back at his old home… Her name was Sakura!"

The bluenette revealed, and all eyes jumped to Naruto who blinked in surprise.

"E-eh? H-how did you-Cecily told you, didn't she!"

Naruto stuttered when the trio of woman all smirked at him. He began sweat. There was only one thing that rivaled the fear that came from an angry woman, and that was a woman who just found out they now had dirt on you.

"What kind of a girl was she?"

"How did you two meet?"

"What did you do to make her dump you?"

"S-shut up! We were never dating to begin with! Also, why am I the one being dumped!?"

The whiskered teen barked when the girls attacked him with a barrage of questions. He looked to Kazuma for help, only to find the guy smirking along with his party members.

Oh, that was strike two…

"Eh~? How boring."

"But I guess it was to be expected."

"Yeah, this is Naruto we're talking about."

"Are you picking a fight with me!? I'm beginning to see why Kazuma says it's okay to attack you three!"

Not just Kazuma, but now these problem children were getting on Naruto's nerves. But he would let it go for the sake of this delicious crab… For now, at least.

"Kazuma, can you light this up. I want to show you all a good way to drink this!"

Aqua suddenly asked while gesturing to a miniature cooking grill in front of her.

"Sure thing… **Tinder**!"

Kazuma responded and held his hand out, and a small flame surged forward and lit a small fire under the mini-grill.

"Woah… When'd you learn how to do that?"

Naruto asked, awed that Kazuma had performed an elemental technique, albeit a small one, without weaving any hand seals.

"Fufu… I haven't been idling around these past few weeks. While you were out looking for girlfriends and monster rabbits, I wandered around town in search for powerful magic to spend my skill points on."

Kazuma explained while holding his hand out and grinning widely. It wasn't often he managed to impress the shinobi, so a little bragging once in a while wouldn't hurt.

"I learned beginners magic from a friendly wizard, blacksmithing from the local black smith, and Drain Touch from Wiz!"

"Oh yeah, Wiz mentioned you and Aqua visited the store a couple days ago… I had give her some of my mana because she was starting to disappear."

Naruto said and looked over at Aqua sternly, and girl adverted her gaze.

"A-anyways, this is what I wanted to show guys! Behold! The ultimate way to drink wine with crabs!"

Aqua professed as she poured some wine into an empty crab shell, then proceeded to place the now-filled shell onto her lit grill. After a short while, the wine began to bubble under the heat of the small fire.

Seemingly satisfied with the wine's reaction, Aqua picked the crab shell back up and took a small sip.

"Ah…"

She sighed in ecstasy as the mixed flavors of wine and crab went down her throat, a small puff of steam escaping her mouth.

Upon seeing this, everyone gulped.

Kazuma lit the miniature grills on his side of the table before he filled his own crab shell with alcohol. He knew full well how hard it was to please that goddess of wine when it came to alcoholic beverages, so there was no way in hell was going to miss out on this!

But just as the boy was about to take a sip, his hand froze.

'Wait! I can't!'

Kazuma thought when the words of the Succubus came to mind.

 _If you drink too much alcohol the night before, we won't be able to give you dreams~!_

That's right! He still had the Succubus dreams tonight! That damned goddess was trying to swindle him of the one thing he found himself looking forward to in this world!

"Hey, Aqua! Let me try some too!"

Megumin pleaded for the priestess to pass her the wine bottle, but Aqua shook her head firmly.

"Sorry Megumin… But this stuff isn't for children~!"

Aqua chimed as she held the bottle closely to her chest, but Megumin wasn't giving up that easily and she all but pounced on the older woman.

"You already had enough for one night! Let me have a little!"

"No way… *Hic!* I still need more to feel that buzz~!"

As the two girls fought over the wine bottle, Naruto let out a sigh after drinking the delicious crab wine. He may not drink alcoholic beverages all the time, but tonight was a celebration so he decided to at least try it once. But his attention was drawn to Kazuma when the boy suddenly pushed out his chair and stood up.

"Kazuma?"

Darkness sent her party leader a questioning glance.

"I'm afraid it's time for me to take a bath and go to sleep. Thank your family for me, will you Darkness?"

Kazuma said and gave Darkness a slight bow before he turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

"Kazuma was acting kind of strange tonight… I wonder if the crab wasn't to his liking after all?"

Darkness mumbled to herself while smiling sadly.

This caused Naruto to frown, because he knew exactly why that man was acting the way he was.

That was strike three for Kazuma.

How could he choose those stupid dreams over enjoying a delicious meal with his friends? If Naruto was in his shoes, he'd-

Well, he certainly didn't want to be in Kazuma's shoes, but…

Shaking his head, Naruto looked at the somber look on Darkness's face to reinforce his anger.

"Don't worry Darkness, I'll get back at Kazuma for you! I've got the perfect prank too!"

"I would appreciate it if you'd save those pranks for me-Wait, what is that you're holding?"

Darkness asked when she saw Naruto pull a small bag out of his pocket.

"Oh, this? It's a bag of Tokoroten Slime I confiscated from Cecily earlier today. I was going to throw it away, but I think I'll throw it into Kazuma's bath… Fufufu… I wonder how he'll react when he finds himself trapped in jelly… Hahahaha!"

Naruto described his plan before he started laughing in a way that befitted a devil.

"I really like this dark side of yours, but as a holy knight, I'm afraid I'm going to have to confiscate that bag from you."

The Crusader rebuked with a minor blush on her face as she plucked the bag from the shinobi's hands.

"Hahaha-h-hey! Give that back!"

Naruto demanded and leaned over to try and retrieve his stolen goods, but Darkness kept him back by outstretching her other arm.

"I'm sorry, but Tokoroten slime is illegal in this country. I'll be dropping this off to the police tomorrow after scolding Cecily. Well then, I bid you all good night."

Darkness lectured firmly before she too stood up from her chair and left the room, leaving a sulking Naruto and the two girls who were still fighting over the wine bottle.

This would not do…

"Hey, Aqua. Which room is Darkness's?"

"What's this? Looking for a night raid? Sorry, but Darkness is my party member. I won't allow you to sneak into her room and steal her panties!"

Aqua responded, and Megumin nodded along in agreement.

"N-no! I just want to get my slime back!"

Naruto snarled back. Honestly, what was with that girl and immediately assuming the worst in him!?

Also, stealing panties? Seriously?

Just how softcore was Aqua's imagination? Megumin, he could understand. She was still just a kid. But it was like stealing panties was the worst thing a man could do to a girl in Aqua's eyes.

"Megumin?"

Naruto turned his attention to the little girl, and she rubbed her chin in thought.

"Hm… I guess I can share this information with you. But only if you clear the table first! You are our guest tonight, so it's only fair if you're the one to do dishes!"

The Crimson Magic Demon exclaimed while pointing at the shinobi. Kazuma and Darkness had pulled a fast one on them by leaving early, but now she wouldn't have to do the dishes either!

A full-proof plan befitting the genius of the Crimson Magic Clan!

"Nice one, Megumin!"

Aqua chimed, and the two girls high-fived each other.

Naruto facepalmed. He fell right into that one.

Oh well, it was a small price to pay for him to get his pranking tool back. Besides, Iruka always told him it was polite to offer to wash dishes when you were someone's guest.

* * *

 **Later…**

Naruto stood just outside of Darkness's room, his ear pressed against the door. He could hear the sound of her footsteps walking from one side of the room to the other.

Was she pacing? Maybe she couldn't sleep…

Then, the sound of the footsteps grew closer and the doorknob began to twist.

Just before the door opened, Naruto moved to the end of the hallway and around the corner without so much as making a sound. He had left all his gear in the guest room Aqua had showed him to, so he didn't have to worry about making any excess noise.

Darkness poked her head out as if to check if anyone was out there before she emerged out of the room, now clad in her night gown, and walked towards the dining hall. Probably to check to see if the dishes had been done.

As soon as Darkness passed his location, Naruto dropped down from the ceiling and moved his way to her room.

The door seemed to be locked, but he was prepared for as much.

'I wonder if she caught Kazuma sneaking into her room before?'

Naruto thought as he fished a lock pick out of his pocket and made short work of the lock. He didn't have much time, so he had hurry and find the loot and get out of there asap.

After closing the door behind him, Naruto surprised to find himself in a rather normal looking room. The bed was centered along the wall, and a mannequin that bore Darkness's adventuring armor stood next to it. A lamp sat on top of a side table next to the bed that kept the room lit enough for him to see fairly well.

'Better stay away from the dresser if possible. Now… If I were Darkness, where would I hide my confiscated items?'

Naruto thought as he began to search the room for the Tokoroten slime.

Kazuma was more than likely finished with his bath, but this was more of a pride thing now. No one confiscated Naruto's pranking tools! No one!

But after a couple minutes of searching, he found nothing.

"Darkness was wearing a night gown, so she likely didn't have it on her person when she left the room… So it has to be in here somewhere… Hm?"

As Naruto mumbled to himself, he noticed something rather odd while looking underneath the girl's bed. One of the floor boards was a slightly different shade than the others.

Giving it a few taps, Naruto's suspicions were confirmed when he heard a hallow sound.

'Bingo…'

The teen thought with a smirk as he picked the faulty floor board and reached inside. Inside the secret compartment was a box, and upon opening the box-

"What the heck are these…!?"

Naruto muttered when he pulled the lid off the box and saw a bunch of oddly shaped objects, and that was when he realized the mistake he had made.

"!"

A sharp gasp came from the door, and Naruto turned to see Darkness staring at him, or more specifically the box, with wide and teary eyes.

"N… N… N…"

The Crusader stammered as she was at a complete loss for words. Her face burned bright red, all the way up to her ears and then some. Which was to be expected.

After all, Naruto had just opened Pandora's Box.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

"I'M SORRRRRYYYYY!"

* * *

 **A/N: Aye, Naruto… There is a line that a man should not cross, and you have just crossed it… May he rest in peace.**

 **I'll be posting a second chapter this week, so look forward to that. ;)**

 **See you in the next one!**


	44. Unleash Your Inner Darkness

It all happened in a flash.

Naruto had stood up to attempt an apology, but Darkness was already charging towards him. He took a step back, as any man would in the presence of rightfully angered woman. But he failed to see the cover of the box and slipped upon stepping on it, his hands flinging up as his body arched backwards.

By the time Naruto realized what had happened, Darkness was already upon him. So when he unconsciously reached his hands out in a vain attempt to grab something, his grip latched onto the girl's night gown.

All Darkness could do was yelp as she was yanked forward as she and Naruto fell onto the bed.

At the same time the box that had been thrown into the air lost its contents, and all the world's evils now littered the room.

But even as one of those very evils landed right next to his face, Naruto didn't dare look. He didn't so much as move a muscle. Not that he had much of a choice, as he was currently pinned to the bed.

Darkness had caught herself while they were falling and was now leaning over Naruto, looking down at him with teary-eyes and breathing heavy breaths.

Naruto gulped. He was dead. He was SO dead right now.

He may not be the most knowledgeable person when it came to women, but even he knew what those objects were. He saw them all the time when he had snuck into the adult stores while perfecting the Sexy Jutsu.

Such obscene items… Naruto could only imagine just how embarrassed the female knight was right now.

"You… You saw them!"

Darkness hissed as she continued to pin the boy down with all her strength, which even by shinobi standards was quite impressive.

"I-I just wanted my slime back…"

There was no point in denying it, so Naruto took his chances by stating his reasons. Not that it would do much.

"Kuh…! I'm so embarrassed I want to die right now!"

Darkness muttered as she looked away in shame.

…Wait. Shame?

After learning of her true nature, Naruto was half-expecting the girl to be turned on by such an event. So why was she acting this way?

"Hey, why aren't you turned on by this? Usually you'd be complimenting my bad behavior or something like that. Are you drunk from the crab wine or something?"

"Is that what you think!? How could I be turned on by something like this! This isn't the kind of humiliation I desire!"

Darkness heatedly denied as her blush intensified immensely, but Naruto noticed something.

Perhaps she really was embarrassed from having her secret box discovered like any normal person would. But Darkness's increasing blush and ragged breathing were saying that somewhere deep down, she was actually enjoying this situation.

It was only after noticing this that Naruto realized if wanted to get out of this alive, then he would have to put on a little act.

"You're actually enjoying this aren't you?"

"Wha-I-I already told you I wasn't! Stop talking nonsense!"

Darkness barked and applied more pressure onto the boy, causing him wince in pain.

'Jeez, she's really strong… But it looks like that wasn't good enough. I'll have to try a different approach!'

Naruto thought before he calmly looked up at Darkness and smiled.

"Darkness… Where did you get these things? A lewd store?"

"A-as if I would show my face in such a place!"

"That's right, you're a Crusader. A holy night such as yourself wouldn't be caught dead walking into an adult's store. Sorry for assuming something outrageous."

Naruto deducted before apologizing, and Darkness visually relaxed upon hearing this.

"S-see? Now… If we could forget this whole thing happened and-"

"You must have disguised yourself before entering first!"

"!"

Darkness's eyes widened and her body tensed.

How did he know!? No, wait. She had to calm down. It was her body language that was giving her away! She couldn't lose to this man, not after what he had just found out. She had to make Naruto promise to keep this a secret no matter what!

Naruto could feel her grip on him loosen a little, but it quickly tightened again. It seemed he was going in the right direction…

"So, I was right? You were curious, so you disguised yourself so no one would know it was you who was buying all those things. But they still look brand new… You must not know how to use them."

"Guh…!"

Darkness's heart was pounding in her chest. What was with Naruto right now? How was he hitting all her weak points!?

Something was strange… Something was very strange! This isn't how Naruto normally acted at all!

'Could it be…!'

As Darkness was slowly coming to her own conclusions, Naruto leaned up as much as he could until his mouth was right next to her ear.

If he was able to move this much, he now only needed to give the final blow.

"…Want me to show you?"

"Ngh!?"

The moment Darkness let go to hug herself and moan, Naruto exploded into action and escaped through the door without looking back.

* * *

Naruto ran into his room and shut the door, locking instantly before hobbling over to the bed and collapsing.

'That was exhausting… I just hope Darkness doesn't think I awakened something dark in me."

He thought as he crawled onto the bed and slipped under the sheets.

Since he wasn't able to get the Tokoroten slime back, he could forget about pranking Kazuma. The guy was probably enjoying his dreams right about now.

'Oh well, guess I'll get some sleep…'

With that thought, Naruto let out a deep breath and closed his eyes.

. . .

"Like hell I could sleep after that!"

Naruto shouted and sat straight up. His heart was still pounding in his chest and wasn't showing any signs of slowing anytime soon.

The first thing he saw upon closing his eyes was the look of Darkness's face while she was pinning him down. She was so close, and he could still feel her touch…

"AH! I'm just gonna go take a bath!"

Perhaps a cold soak would do his mind some good. So after opening his door and peaking around to make sure Darkness was nowhere in sight, Naruto scurried down the dark halls of the mansion to find the bath.

Since Aqua had been so generous as to give him a tour of the mansion the first time he had visited, he managed to find it rather quickly. But upon walking up to the door, Naruto found that a small sign hung on the door.

' _Bath in use_ … Huh? Is someone really in here at this hour?'

Naruto thought before turning the door knob and walking inside the changing room. His eyes were drawn to the small basket on the floor right next to the glass door that led to the washroom.

'Those are Kazuma's clothes… Ah, don't tell me he fell asleep in the bath-Holy crap, he did! That's hilarious!'

Naruto clamped his mouth shut to hold in his laughter as he peeked inside the washroom. Kazuma was laying in the large spa-like bath

It was too bad he didn't have the slime, he could have pulled the prank off flawlessly. Naruto giggled to himself as he imagined the surprised look on Kazuma's face when he woke up covered in jelly.

But even if Naruto didn't have the jelly, he could still prank the guy. After all, Kazuma was helplessly sleeping in the bathtub, completely oblivious to the lurking danger that was just outside the glass door.

'But what kind of prank can even compete with that…'

Naruto pondered to himself while rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Then, his eyes widened.

He didn't sense a Succubus, which would mean Kazuma wasn't having their lewd dream!

'Not yet at least… Fufufu…'

* * *

"Mmm…? Did I fall asleep?"

Kazuma wondered aloud as his eyes opened to find that he was currently sitting in the washroom. The water was lukewarm, so not much time must have passed.

"I better get back to my room before the Succubus shows up. I hope there isn't a penalty for… Huh?"

While he was mumbling to himself, Kazuma heard a noise coming from the changing room. The sound of clothes rustling, to be more precise.

That was weird… He could have sworn he put the sign up.

Unless…

'Ah, it must be Naruto. He probably decided to spend the night.'

Kazuma deducted since there was absolutely no way those girls would be dumb enough to walk into the washroom when the sign was on the door. They had been the ones that suggested the sign in the first place.

Not that he would have minded one of them making that mistake.

Poof!

'…Hm? That's weird… Naruto's silhouette just went 'poof!'. Did he use a skill?'

Hang on… Something was wrong. Why did Kazuma get the feeling something amazing about to happen?

"Ah~! Now that everyone's asleep, I can enjoy a nice bath without having to worry about anyone seeing me~!"

A very girly sounding voice said, and now that the smoke had cleared, Kazuma could see a very curvy silhouette behind the glass.

And that curvy silhouette was now opening the door-

"Ah." x2

Kazuma and Naruto(?) said at the same time when their eyes met.

They both didn't say anything for a few moments, and all that could be heard were the crickets outside.

'He's HOT!'

Kazuma thought while maintaining his poker face, because freaking out in this sort of situation only led to women becoming violent.

Wait, Naruto was guy. Did that sort of unreasonable logic even apply here?

There had to be some sort of mistake… Kazuma was fairly certain Naruto was guy. But the near-naked person standing in front of him was CLEARY female.

Blonde hair that wend down to her waist, timid baby-blue eyes that were beginning to tear up, and a figure that rivaled even Darkness. Along with the three whisker marks-

'GAH! It has to be Naruto! But why is he a complete babe!?'

Kazuma's mind screamed as his calm outside scanned the blonde beauty up and down, taking in every detail he could see that wasn't being covered by the small towel, and all without even moving his eyes.

It was a technique he had learned before he stopped going to school.

"O-oh no… You saw my true form…"

Naruto(?) muttered while adverting his/her gaze.

Oya? What's this? Could this be one of _those_ developments?

"True form?"

"Yes… Y-you see, my real name is Naruko… I've always been self-conscious about myself, even back in my old town. So, I used to dress up as a guy all the time since I felt like I could be my true self. Men don't care what other people think of them, right? One of the abilities the demon fox gives me is the power to change my appearance, so…"

The buxom beauty explained while squirming behind the small towel, which did little to hide her voluptuous figure. Curse that tiny towel!

Bingo! He hit the jackpot!

It was the classic "girl secretly disguised as a boy" cliché from anime and manga!

'No, wait! This could all be apart of his plan… A ploy to get me to lower my guard!'

Kazuma thought when he remembered Naruto was prankster. He didn't know how he was able to transform, so he still had to be careful.

But then again… This could actually be the Succubus dream. He did order a beautiful Onee-San who was inexperienced with men, and they never specified if he needed to be sleeping in his bed for it to work.

'Looks like I'll have to test the waters…'

Kazuma thought before standing up, earning a surprised 'eep!' from this female(?) company. Walking over to a stool, he sat down with his back towards the blonde expectantly.

"Alright, I'll keep your secret from the others. But you'll have to wash my back."

"Eh!? Are you seriously blackmailing me!?"

This earned yet another yelp from Naruko, only this time it was real. The shinobi hadn't been expecting Kazuma to be so quick to believe him. Maybe he really thought this was all a dream?

'That didn't sound fake… Could he, or I guess she, actually be telling the truth?'

Kazuma thought, but he still wasn't satisfied. So he decided to push a little further.

"Let's not think of it as paying for my secrecy with your body, and more of trading a favor for a favor. Now then, I haven't got all night. Come here."

"…! You really deserve the names 'Scumzuma' and 'Kazutrash', ya know?"

Naruko muttered with a twitching eyebrow, but he reluctantly moved over to the boy and kneeled.

"F-fine! I just have to wash your back, right?"

"Yes, but please be gentle. This is my first time."

Kazuma said in a monotone voice.

"Don't word it like that! You'll make it even weirder! Jeez… This is actually my first time seeing a live naked man before too…"

Naruko admitted before applying the towel to the boy's back. He felt weird washing another man's back, but it would be worth it in the end if he got to see Kazuma's betrayed expression.

For the sake of the prank, he would maintain the act!

"O-ordering me around like that… Don't think I'll enjoy being bossed around like Darkness!"

"Hm… That Tsundere act isn't bad, but enough of that. Wash me without the towel now."

"!?"

Naruko's face beamed bright red, knowing exactly what Kazuma was implying. Even for a prank, Naruto wasn't sure if he was willing to go THAT far…

"Hey now, what's keeping you? Hurry it up back there!"

Kazuma pushed for the girl to scrub his back, but Naruto was at his limit.

There was no way he could go through with such an indecent act… Washing a friend's back with a towel was one thing, but doing it without one would be crossing a line that shouldn't be crossed!

"Hurry, hurry, hurry~!"

Kazuma repeated urgently as his patience grew thin. But just as he was about to turn around, a certain loudmouthed voice echoed through the halls.

"Show yourself, intruders! Guys, we have intruders in the mansion!"

"Hahn!?"

Kazuma growled threateningly at the unexpected sound of his party's useless priest.

"… **Secret Arts…"**

Naruto whispered darkly and put his hands into the Tiger seal, his eyes glowering at the sight of an opportunity.

"Damn that useless goddess… I won't allow her to ruin-"

" **Thousand Years of Death!"**

 **Poke!**

"Ahn~!"

* * *

"Muahaha! Looks like we caught a couple of filthy Succubus! You must be after Naruto and Kazuma's life energy! Too bad you didn't know that this mansion belongs to the great me!"

Aqua spat while laughing like a villain, and Morrigan cowered in fear.

"What shall we do with them, Aqua? My Explosion magic should be fully charged right about now…"

Megumin suggested with her crimson eyes glowing menacingly, causing Maria to squeak in terror.

"Is it because of these two devils that Naruto was acting so weird earlier!? Let them have it, Megumin Aqua! Show them no mercy!"

Darkness shouted with angry tears in her eyes, and the three human girls roared in unison.

'Naruto-Sama…! Save us!'

Maria cried in her mind for her master to come and save her and Morrigan, and as if to answer her calls, the sounds of footsteps could be heard down the darkened hallway.

Naruto and Kazuma were later scene running side by side, both with dead-serious expression.

"Naruto, Kazu-Wah! Why are you two only wearing towels!?"

Megumin squealed when she noticed that the two boys were in fact only wearing bath towels to cover themselves.

"Stay back you two! Those are Succubus! They're devils who've come to steal away your life force! Don't worry, I'll take care of-"

Aqua cautioned, but Naruto and Kazuma ran right past them and stopped right in front of the Succubus.

Naruto didn't even look down at the devils, his bangs shadowing his features.

"I-I'm terribly sorry… I came along to ensure this job was a success. But I wasn't expecting there to be so many traps. Just one circle takes hours to make. Only a person with tons of free time would go through such a tedious procedure so many time…"

Morrigan explained with her head held as low as she possibly could. As an experienced Succubus, it was shameful to be caught by such a trap.

"…"

Naruto silently turned around and faced the three "problem children".

"What are you doing!? Get out of the way so I can purify those devils!"

Aqua demanded while making motions with her hands that implied anything put purification.

"Please, just leave us behind… A devil that falls for such traps would never be fit to serve you."

Maria pleaded and wiped a tear from her eye. Just seeing her beloved coming to their aid was more than enough. She could die happy, knowing that her master cared for such a clumsy devil such as herself.

"…Go."

Kazuma faced the human girls and said. All of this was happening because of his troublesome priest, so he would take responsibility.

"Wait, Aqua! Naruto and Kazuma are probably being controlled by the Succubus! That's why they're acting so strange!"

Darkness warned, earning a gasp from her two female companions.

"Looks like we'll have to knock some sense into them first…"

Megumin said and cracked her knuckles.

"Last chance, boys! Move or feel the wrath of god!"

Aqua gave her final warning, but the males remained unmoved.

"…No." x2

Naruto and Kazuma both said and got into a fighting stance.

'Naruto-Sama…!'

'So kind…!'

Maria and Morrigan both thought and took one last look at their master before surging their small pools of demonic energy to create a hole in the magic circle large enough for them to fit and escape through a window.

At the same time, Naruto and Kazuma lunged towards the trio.

They would defend the Succubus with their lives!

* * *

 **The Next Morning…**

It was a brutal defeat, but Naruto didn't regret a thing. Neither did Kazuma.

The two boys were up before the sun had risen and had met in the mansion's gate as Naruto was about to leave.

"…"

"…"

Neither said a thing, but that was enough. Both knew exactly what the other was trying to say.

What happens in the mansion, _stays_ in the mansion.

* * *

 **A/N: Phew… I had a bit of a hard time writing this one. -_-'**

 **But I believe it turned out alright~! Let me know what you thought!**

 **Next chapter: Naruto vs Mitsurugi!**


	45. Shonen Showdown

**A/N: Before we begin, I would just like to clarify something regarding a certain event in the last chapter… Naruto was NOT defeated by Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness. He simply acted as a meat shield to allow Maria and Morrigan to escape. -_-**

 **Now then, onto the long-awaited fight between Naruto and Mitsurugi!**

* * *

"Wiz-San! You cannot let this keep going on!"

Yunyun snapped and slammed her hands onto the table.

Wiz flinched, but simply lowered her head as she didn't want to further anger the younger girl.

Wait. Why was she being scolded by a girl younger than her? Why was she sitting seiza-style in front of said girl? What happened to the sweet and shy little mage that Naruto had introduced her to!?

"I-I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Wiz-San!"

"Eep! I'm sorry!"

Wiz begged for forgiveness, prompting Yunyun to sigh.

"It's okay… Because that's why I'm here! Don't worry, Wiz-San! I'll help you confess your love!"

Yunyun exclaimed while gesturing to herself with stars in her eyes. She always wanted to say that to a friend, and now that dream was a reality!

"…Huh?"

Wiz's head tilted in a comical fashion.

'What's this girl talking about? Love? Was I in love with someone? I can't think of anyone… Well, I guess I can just explain this to Yunyun and she'll-'

The shop owner started thinking when Yunyun suddenly grabbed onto her hand and started pulling on her.

"Come on! Let's go to Naruto-San right now! If we leave right now, we might make it!"

"E-ehhh!?"

* * *

"Guess who's back, ladies and gentlemen! The one, the only… Jiraiya! Gahahaha!"

Jiraiya bellowed with laughter as he walked through the newly built gates of Axel, but the only response he got was a couple chuckles from the gate guards. In fact, there was hardly any people walking around the usually busy streets.

That was strange. Normally a mob of fans would swarm him after he declared his arrival. After all, he was quite famous among the people of Axel. Particularly the men who adored his novels.

Oh well. None of that mattered right now anyway, because his schedule was the following:

1\. Go to the Succubus Shop.

2\. Go to the local bar to pick up women.

3\. Rent a room at the inn and sober up with awesome secret ninja arts.

4\. Pass out and enjoy the Succubus service~!

"Hm… I feel like I'm forgetting something."

The sage mumbled to himself before he snapped his fingers.

That's right, he had to check up on Naruto!

"Guess I'll go looking for the brat after I visit those sweet little devils… Huh? What's this?"

While he was reorganizing his schedule, Jiraiya noticed a rather large crowd in the town's main plaza.

Was there some sort of event going on? Why wasn't he informed about it!?

Hang on. There was a familiar looking person standing in the middle of the crowd…

* * *

"Okay, TODAY we are going on a quest! I'm tired of waking up in the morning to the reality of being in debt!"

Kazuma declared while pointing to the sky as though he was making it a promise. After the… unpleasant events of last night, it was clear a day that he needed to take things into his own hands. Otherwise nothing was going to change.

So, Kazuma and his party were headed straight for the Adventurers guild.

"It's nice to see you acting so eager to go adventuring this often, Kazuma. Although, I wish we could have left for the guild earlier to get a head start on the quest…"

Darkness said, her gaze falling to Aqua.

"Yeah, and she didn't even let me have a try of that crab wine she saved for this morning either…"

Megumin added, her gaze also falling to Aqua.

The water goddess blinked when she found that all eyes were on her.

"Huh? What are you all looking at? Is there something in my hair? I could have sworn I brushed it correctly this morning…"

While Aqua was picking at her hair to make sure is was tidy, Kazuma let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Why did I end up with useless thing-Ah, sorry about that."

Kazuma apologized when he bumped into an adventurer, but the man simply grunted and went back to whatever he was doing.

'Is that how you should treat the man whose party is responsible for… What the-Why is there so many people in the plaza?'

To Kazuma's surprise, there was an extremely large crowd in front of them. It wouldn't be hard to believe that there was twice the amount of people that had showed up to Naruto's little attraction the previous day. There was even a handful of the guild's staff roaming around, each making sure that the crowd didn't become too excited.

How did he just notice this!?

"Oh! Is Naruto hosting another Nido-Rabbit challenge? I must find the line at once!"

Darkness squealed and disappeared into the right side of the crowd.

"Naruto's up to something again, isn't he! I won't let him get away with hogging all the profits!"

Aqua shouted and ran into the left side of the crowd, opposite of Darkness.

"Darkness! Aqua! Hang on a second! What about the…?"

Kazuma fruitlessly tried to call back his party members, but they were already too far into the crowd to even hear him. He turned to Megumin and the little girl merely shrugged.

"…Oh, forget it. Let's just see what this is all about."

* * *

At the center of the crowd stood one Naruto Uzumaki, clad in his green jōnin vest and black undershirt. Standing in front of him was the blue armored Mitsurugi Kyouya, the Sword Master who wielded the cursed sword Gram.

Three days had passed since the challenge had been issued, and in just a few minutes it would be noon.

"I'm glad you actually showed up, Naruto Uzumaki. My comrades warned me that you might flee, but I had a feeling that you wouldn't do such a thing. Because if you didn't, it would be an insult to Aqua-Sama. Ah, and to all the other girls you've sunk your teeth into as well."

Mitsurugi insinuated and drew his sword from its large sheath, earning a collected share of 'oos' and 'ahs' from the crowd.

'Sheesh… This guy sure talks a lot.'

Naruto thought with a twitching eyebrow, but he refrained from making any comments that came to mind. He could ignore all of that, because Mitsurugi was unknowingly going to help him clear his name.

Although, the magic sword might prove to be an issue. Even from the distance that they were, Naruto could tell that it wasn't called a divine relic for nothing. The blade had a malicious aura to it and would most likely have enough cutting power to cut his kunai in two.

But a sword's cutting power meant nothing if it couldn't reach its target.

"It's noon, Mitsurugi. But before we start our match, I'd like to make a confession."

Naruto said and raised his hand to get the crowd to quiet down. As soon as he had the floor, he began to pace.

"I'm sure most of you know who I am, for better or worse. My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm an adventurer. I'm well aware of the rumors that have been going around. Which is why I stand here today with my fellow adventurer, Mitsurugi!"

Naruto shouted and the sword master referred to himself continuingly, as he was confused as to where this was all coming from.

"As you may know, Mitsurugi is a hero candidate. So I'm sure you all would put your trust in this man, correct? Well then, shall we let Mitsurugi be the judge for my supposed misdoings!? Whether all these rumors are true, or false… Would you agree with Mitsurugi's judgement should he come to understand who I really am? If so, then watch this fight closely!"

Naruto declared before he took a deep breath and shouted as loud as he could.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I am NOT delinquent, a womanizer, or a devil! I am an adventurer of Axel Town, and the one who will defeat the demon king! You better believe it!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the crowd that was a mix of adventurers and townspeople roared. Some were booing, while others that knew Naruto from the guild cheered him on.

Mitsurugi on the other hand, was surprised. He had not expected such an inspiring speech from the person he assumed was a lowlife. Did he misjudge this man?

"Kazuma! Kazuma! Naruto's speech has yet again lit a flame in my passion to defeat the Demon King! After we watch this duel, let us take on the most difficult quest on the board! I'll even fight an army of toads if I have to!"

Megumin chimed while pulling on Kazuma's adventuring cloak.

"Declined. But that speech really was something else. It was almost like something that was straight out of a…"

Kazuma's words trailed off when he realized something. That guy just ripped off a famous line from a manga! He was sure he read something like that in the past! That goddamn plagiarist!

"Give me back my respect, you fake ninja! Kick his ass Mizukage!"

"I'm not a fake ninja!"

"It's Mitsurugi! Oh, Kazuma-San is here? Then does that mean Aqua-Sama is here too? Has she come to wish me luck on my match?"

Somehow, both blondes heard Kazuma's words over the crowd. Naruto heatedly denied Kazuma's claims while Mitsurugi looked around for Aqua like school boy searching for his crush at the playground.

'Wait, if Kazuma's here… Oh no…'

If Aqua showed up, it would more than likely hinder his plans of redeeming his public image. Which is why he never told Kazuma and the others about the fight. He had been hoping that the news of the fight never reached their ears, and since they hadn't been going to the guild all that much, it almost happened.

"Ahah! I knew this crowd was your doing! What are you up to?"

Aqua appeared from the crowd and stormed over to Naruto when he chose to ignore her.

"A-Aqua-Sama? I'm over here…"

Mitsurugi squeaked when Aqua walked right past him, and by some stroke of luck she actually responded to him.

"Hm? Oh, it's the guy that broke my cage that one time. What are you doing here? Actually, what's with all of this anyways?"

"Please don't tell me you forgot my name again… No, I won't waste your time with such matter. For you see, Lady Aqua, I will be fighting for your freedom today!"

Kyouya stated while gesturing to himself proudly, and half expected his beloved goddess to praise him for doing such a heroic deed.

His expectations were immediately shot down.

"Oh? What's this? You two are fighting over me? I mean, I guess I shouldn't be surprised… But what nonsense are you talking about!? I'm free to do whatever I please! If I wanted to collect the coins in the local fountain for pocket change, I could! If I wanted to play with the children at the park and teach them to say: 'Eris pads her chest!', I could!"

"Please don't do such things. B-but, is it not true that Naruto forces you to do his bidding? That he takes advantage of your maiden heart and toys with you?"

. . .

"Of course! This man hasn't left me alone since the day we met! He likes to sneak into my room at night for a night raid! He plays with my hair while I'm sleeping, then takes my panties to his room and dances with them! Just this morning, I found my that my morning wine bottle was filled with soap!"

Aqua claimed while sinking to her knees dramatically, earning collective gasps from the crowd.

"W-what are you saying at a time like this!? I promise to treat you to your favorite wine if you take back those lies!"

Naruto silently pleaded to the water goddess who was now crying crocodile tears, but it was too late. The damage had already been done.

"Y-your panties… And now he is trying to silence you with bribes!? I will defeat you once and for all, enemy of women!"

Mitsurugi shouted in rage and with his sword drawn.

"That's right! But Naruto is a crafty one, so I, being the loving and caring goddess that I am, will grant you Wonderful Blessings for your success~! **Powered! Blessing!** "

Aqua chimed before she casted various buffing spells on Mitsurugi, and the boy's form bathed in a heavenly glow.

"A Blessing from Lady Aqua herself…! I feel like I could take on the demon king himself!"

Mitsurugi awed at his newfound strength and swung his sword around to test his enhanced power.

"H-hey, Aqua! This is supposed to be a dual between Naruto and Mtsurugi! Isn't buffing one of them and not the other cheating? Or rather, why don't you use those useful spells on me!?"

Kazuma shouted and ground his teeth in anger when the bluenette adverted her gaze.

"T-that's okay, Kazuma… Things will be more interesting this way."

Naruto reassured his friend with a twitching smile.

"…Oi. Why do you look more eager to fight? You didn't catch some weird disease from Darkness, did you?"

Kazuma asked with his eyebrow twitching in annoyance, and a distant moan could be heard somewhere within the crowd.

But just as Kyouya was about to charge forward and engage Naruto to start their fight, a small cry could be heard from within the crowd.

"WAIT!"

This time, all eyes fell on Yunyun who, upon popping her head into the center of the crowd, beamed bright red and fumbled with her words.

"N-Naruto-San… i-isn't… Those rumors a-aren't… T-t-tell them W-Wiz-San! N-now's your chance!"

Yunyun stammered before turning to Wiz and whispering the last part, who was pushed to the center moments after.

Wiz seemed to be in a dazed state, as she was still trying to piece together just what was going on. From what she could gather, Yunyun seemed to be under the impression that she was in love with Naruto.

Truth be told, even Wiz was unsure of her feelings towards the whiskered teen.

'But one thing I do understand, is that Naruto-San seems to need help right now! Don't worry, let me handle everything!'

Wiz thought and gave the blonde a knowing look and thumbs up.

'Oh no…'

Naruto thought when a bad feeling filled his gut.

"People of Axel! My name is Wiz, owner of Wiz's Magic Items! The shop is located in the south-eastern part of town!"

'She's promoting the shop!?' x2

Naruto thought before falling to his knees in dismay. That was it… He was doomed.

"I don't know anything about these rumors, but what I can tell you is that Naruto-San is a very kind person! Naruto-San visits my shop and helps even though I can't pay him… He praises me when I do something right, scolds me when I do something wrong, and feeds me twice a day…"

'She sounds like a pet dog!'

Kazuma thought with bulging eyes and looked around to see that the crowd seemed to be having similar thoughts.

"But most of all, he is my friend… and I don't know where I would be without him."

Wiz said and gave Naruto a genuine smile. She didn't know where that came from, but hopefully it would help the people of Axel see Naruto the way she did.

"Wiz…"

Naruto said, his eyes wide with surprise. Wiz's speech really hit him hard… Despite the weird way she phrased it, he could tell that she really meant it from the bottom of her heart.

It felt… Weird.

"…You fiend! What kind of sick play is that even supposed to be!?"

A new person arrived at the scene, and this time it was Darkness, who had a deep blush on her face.

'Ugh… Not again…'

Naruto groaned when he realized the direction things were going.

"This is supposed to be one of those 'master and pet' type of plays, isn't it!? Is that why you said those things to me last night? Are you trying to turn me into one of your pets!? You… *Huff!* *Huff* You glorious bastard!"

Darkness inquired while pointing at Naruto accusingly, all the while panting like she just ran a mile.

'What is that perverted idiot doing!?'

Kazuma thought as he pushed his way through the crowd. He was curious as to what Darkness and Naruto were doing last night, but first he had to get her out of there. She was completely ruining Naruto's hopes of clearing his image.

Hey, he knew painfully well what it was like to have people dislike you for ridiculous reasons.

"What do you plan to make me do first? Force me to call you master? Oh, or make me get on my knees and beg for-Hey, wait Kazuma! I need to get to the bottom his this! As a female knight, I can't let that man go…!"

As Darkness was dragged into the crowd by Kazuma, Naruto sent his fellow Adventurer a grateful nod.

"Now then, Naruto Uzumaki! In the name of all that is good-"

Mitsurugi seized the opportunity to get the battle started, but he was interrupted when a certain blonde Axis Cultist appeared in the center of the crowd.

"Aqua-Sama! Your most faithful follower Cecily has arrived at the scene!"

Cecily cheered when she noticed Mitsurugi, frozen mid-stance with his mouth agape.

"Oh, if it isn't the handsome young man with the magic sword! Is it that time already? Be sure save me properly, alright? Oh, by the way. Do you have any spare change on you? I wanted to buy Aqua-Sama an offering, but I didn't have enough money…"

"Oh, sure. Here you go. Now, as I was saying… In the name of all the women that you tricked-"

"Boss! I need your help! There's something fishy about the temporary member that my other party hired!"

This time it was Dust that interrupted Mitsurugi, to which the delinquent adventurer instantly noticed and reacted accordingly.

"Oh yeah, that's right! Today's the day you defended your harem from that Mitsurugi bastard! He really did a number on me that one time, so kick his ass Boss!"

"…That's it! No more interruptions! Naruto Uzumaki! In the name of all that is good and the women that you tricked, let us duel!"

Mitsurugi rushed to complete his sentence before taking heavy gasps to regain his breath.

'…My condolences.'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop, knowing all too well what it was like to deal with his two troublesome party members the first couple times. Wait, that's not right. They were still hard to deal with.

…Hang on. Why did he even keep those two troublemakers in his party in the first place?

" **The fight between the adventurers Naruto and Mitsurugi is about to begin, so please, everyone who is not involved please stand back!"**

One of the guild employees announced through a magic item that enhanced their volume and continued to repeat the same line as the rest of the guild members present backed the crowd up to give Naruto and Mitsurugi some more space.

"…I know it's hard to believe given all this nonsense, but I'm not a bad person. You and I have the same goal. We both want to defeat the Demon King."

Naruto attempted to reason with Mitsurugi one last time, but as was expected, the teen didn't have any of it.

"Hmph! That's the line a villain from a manga would say! But no more words, have at you!"

Mitsuru retorted before he lunged forward with his sword with a horizontal swing aimed slightly upwards, and Naruto's eyes widened when he found that he actually needed to put effort into dodging.

Having fought monsters that moved slower than snails in his perspective since coming to this world, the sheer amount of speed and strength that Mitsurugi put into the attack had really caught him off guard.

Woosh!

The force of the swing caused a gust of wind, causing the crowd to cry out in surprise.

Kazuma stared at the two superhuman blondes with wide eyes, then flinched when he heard a crashing sound behind him. Turning around, Kazuma's eyes nearly left their sockets when he saw that Mitsurugi's swing had chopped the top of a chimney clean off a house.

This truly was a Shonen Showdown… Were they going to be safe at this distance!?

'This might actually be a good fight!'

Naruto thought and slipped a kunai into his wrist, then proceeded to throw them at the swordsman. He wasn't being cocky, because it was true. Aside from the Winter Shogun, not a single monster in this world had proved to be so much as a threat to Naruto.

But this guy was proving himself to be an interesting opponent!

The throwing knives made clinging sounds when they made contact with Mitsurugi's sword, as the boy blocked every projectile that came at him. But the pressure wasn't done yet, as Naruto was already upon him with a kunai in hand.

"Gram!"

Kyouya shouted, and through the added power that came from his magic weapon and Aqua's buffs, he managed to bring his sword downward fast enough to cut through the iron knife and Naruto himself.

Poof!

As Naruto's form burst into smoke, Mitsurugi continued with his swing to spin around. This forced Naruto, who had snuck behind the swordsman in advance, to avoid the surprise swing by jumping back.

"During these past three days, my comrades and I did some research on you. Specifically, your skills. We learned that you had the ability to clone yourself at will. Couple that with your thief-like fighting style, I figured you would go for a sneak attack. If I didn't know any better, you might actually be the first ninja I've met in this world."

Kyouya revealed and sent a thankful smile to his two friends, who squealed upon noticing his gaze from within the crowd. He also knew Naruto had the Steal skill, but he was sure there wasn't a need to worry about that. If Naruto really was trying to clear his image, then trying to steal his opponent's weapon would look really bad.

"Hehe… Looks like you did your homework! That's right! I am a ninja, and this ninja is about to kick your ass! **Shadow Clone Jutsu**!"

Naruto responded by creating three more clones, and together, they charged forward in yellow and green blurs.

Mitsurugi smirked. He was glad he practiced fighting against multiple enemies at once, as it seems his training was about to pay off!

Ducking under a punch thrown by the fist clone, Mitsurugi wrapped his arm around its shoulder and proceeded to use it as a human weapon by throwing it into another clone. Moments after, Naruto and his remaining clone charged in from opposite sides.

Judging that they would be attacking simultaneously, Mitsurugi dug his heel into the ground and spun with his sword, successfully cutting both in the chest.

But to Mitsurugi's surprise, they both turned out to be clones as the real Naruto burst through the cloud of smoke with a blue sphere in his hands.

" **Rasengan!"**

'I can't stop my spin in time…!'

Kyouya thought as the ball of rotating energy rammed into his plated chest, and he was sent hurdling into the air in a spiraling fit.

"Guhah!"

Mitsurugi grunted when he finally hit the ground, his sword embedding itself into the pavement a few feet away from him. He tried to reach for his sword, but it was too far and he had taken too much damage from the fall. So, he let his fall to the ground. He was defeated.

After watching a nearly super-human fight, the crowd was dead silent as Naruto walked over to the fallen sword master. Even Mitsurugi's fangirls were at a loss for words, for they had yet to see their beloved lose a fight.

…That "fight" with Kazutrash didn't count.

"You made sure I wouldn't hit the others… By sending me upwards… Thank you…"

Mitsurugi whispered as he felt a wave of exhaustion wash over his body.

"I noticed you did the same thing earlier with your first swing. That was a good attack, you nearly won before the battle even started."

Naruto admitted with a shrug, earning a chuckle from his fellow blonde.

"So… I lost, huh?"

Mitsurugi covered his eyes with his eyes with his arm in shame. He felt pathetic. Even with the blessing of a goddess, the very goddess he had sworn to protect, he still couldn't win. Maybe he wasn't cut out to be a hero after all…

"You may have lost this time, but don't give up. You're going to be the one to defeat the demon king, aren't you?"

Naruto crouched next to the boy, and Mitsurugi looked up at the shinobi in surprise.

"But… I thought-"

"What, you thought I'd hold a grudge against you for all this? Come on, I already told you I'm not a bad guy. I know you were just trying to do what you thought was right."

"…It seems I got you all wrong, Naruto Uzumaki."

Kyouya admitted in an apologetic tone. Here he was, giving up on the task that he had sworn to complete, and his supposed enemy was trying to encourage him.

"Ah, but don't get me wrong! I'm going to be the one to defeat the demon king! So that makes us rivals, you got that?"

Naruto declared with a fake pout and turned away.

"Heh… I guess that does. I apologize, Naruto Uzumaki. I'll believe you… But, can you promise me one thing?"

Mitsurugi suddenly asked, causing the whiskered teen to cock his head to the side.

"Uh… Sure?"

"Promise me that… You'll make Aqua-Sama happy…"

"Eh!? Well, uh… S-sure. I promise."

Naruto stuttered and scratched at his whisker marks awkwardly.

"Good…"

With peace of mind, Mitsurugi fell unconscious.

It was at that point the crowd couldn't maintain their excitement anymore, and the town exploded with cheers.

"I knew Naruto wasn't that bad of a guy."

"Yeah, but for some reason I'm kinda jealous…"

"Free cheers for Naruto!"

"OHHH!" x(?)

The adventurers began to say amongst themselves.

Naruto stood up while rubbing his head sheepishly. Looks like his plan worked, his reputation was saved. But knowing that didn't help him at the moment. He never really knew how to react to _cheering_ crowds of people.

Especially when they picked you up and tossed you around like some sort of trophy!

"I knew you had it in you, Boss! Also, it felt nice to see that Mitsurugi bastard get put in his place…"

Dust said and gave the fallen knight a light kick.

"Hey, don't do tha-"

"HEY! What do you think you're doing to Kyouya!?"

"Stay away from him, you degenerate!"

It seemed that Mitsurugi's groupies didn't like Dust's actions, so they proceeded to change the guy out of town.

Naruto chuckled as he watched the delinquent run for his life. Fangirls… You did not want to anger them.

"Hello, darling~!"

Cecily spoke into Naruto's ear, causing the shinobi to jump in surprise. He was so busy watching Dust that he failed to noticed Cecily sneak up behind him and blow in his ear.

"Wah! D-don't do that!"

"Fufufu… Normally I would tease you at a time like this, but it seems you have won a bigger prize than even me."

Cecily cooed, but before he could even ask the Axis Cultist disappeared into the crowd.

"Naruto! Naruto! I cannot contain my feelings any longer! Let us have a showdown of our own!"

"Me too! I want you to show me no mercy and send me hurdling into the air, just as you did Mitsurugi!"

Megumin and Darkness pestered Naruto to face them, but the shinobi simply waved his hand.

"No way."

"What!? Why not!?"

"Ahn! This rejection is similar to Kazuma… Ah! What did I just think right now!? How shameless can I… *Huff!* *Huff!* …Be!?"

Naruto and Megumin shared a look while Darkness continued to hug herself while breathing heavily.

"Eroness." x2

"!"

As Darkness chased Naruto and Megumin through the crowd with teary eyes, Kazuma rolled his own.

'What a load of… Eh?'

Kazuma thought and was about to come up with some sort of retort for the situation when he saw Aqua, or rather, the state she was in. She was looking down at her feet and was… Blushing?

…Something was wrong. Something was VERY wrong with the way Aqua was acting.

This was definitely NOT normal!

* * *

 **A/N: I know I usually post on Mondays, but I wanted to make this chapter a little longer than I normally do. Updates will go back to being on Monday as usual~**


	46. The Destroyer Part 1

**A/N: Fun fact… Each of the KonoSuba light novels averages about 50,000 words each, which means A Shinobi's Take on this Wonderful World has the equivalent to about three volumes in terms of length~**

 **Ah. But I guess this also means I'm falling behind KonoSuba's canon timeline.**

 **. . .**

 **Queue the Destroyer!**

* * *

" **Emergency! Destroyer Alert! Destroyer Alert! All adventurers please come straight to the guild at once! I repeat…"**

Just as the crowd surrounding Naruto was beginning to disperse, Luna's voice echoed across town through the guild's magic speakers and all hell broke loose.

"Destroyer? What's a Destroyer?"

Naruto asked, and a random adventurer stopped next to him.

"The Destroyer is the Destroyer! It's coming to this town to kill us all, and the town's ace was just knocked out cold! We're doomed!"

"…Huh?"

Naruto looked over at Kazuma, but the boy seemed to be just as confused as he was. His next action was to look to Aqua for a possible answer, but she seemed to be avoiding his gaze for some reason. Odd…

"…Let's just head to the adventurer's guild and ask Luna-Chan."

* * *

"Oh… So that's the Destroyer."

Naruto said as he peered into a magic item that somehow allowed him vision of the walking fortress from a bird's eye view. But that vision was abruptly cutoff by a flash of light.

Luna had explained that the Destroyer was created by an ancient civilization and that it went rampant, leaving nothing left of its creators.

The royal army once tried an assault on the walking fortress but found that they couldn't even attack due to a magical barrier that protected it from outside forces. It was then considered to be a natural disaster, one that encouraged immediate evacuation should be held if it was headed toward your location.

"This really is a problem… Why didn't you tell me about such a powerful target sooner, Luna-Chan!? I would have taken the quest to destroy that thing in a heartbeat!"

Naruto shouted at the troubled receptionist and slammed his hands on the table that everyone was gathered around.

"That's what your mad about you fight-crazy psycho!?"

Kazuma retorted when a man suddenly walked passed him to the center table, one that he, and many others recognized instantly.

"Now, now… Let's not lose our heads here people."

Jiraiya said in a calm manner while raising his hands passively as if to maintain order.

"Ero-Senin!"

Naruto exclaimed upon seeing his master come seemingly out of nowhere.

"That was a nice fight, kid. But we'll talk about that some other time. We have to come up with a plan to destroy the Destroyer. Fortress or not, it should still have weaknesses. Right, receptionist-San?"

The old sage stated before turning towards the . But despite his seriousness, his eyes were glued on the guild lady's "assets".

"…It brings great relief that such a widely-known adventurer has come to our aid. But unfortunately, we are still at a disadvantage. Without having a means of taking down the Destroyer's barrier, it won't matter how many "Ero-Senins" appear."

Luna explained while saying the last bit rather coldly. She didn't mean to be a buzz kill, but the reality of the situation still stood. Jiraiya was known as a powerful adventurer, but Destroyer's barrier was strong enough to repel even the strongest of spells.

A wave of murmurs began to spread throughout the guild.

"Even with Ero-Senin…?"

"I guess the Destroyer is still the Destroyer..."

"Should we run for it?"

Kazuma looked at all the adventurers as they whispered amongst themselves. It was obvious that a majority of them didn't want to be here, and who would blame them? They were up against a walking fortress that left nothing but ashes in its trail!

But what could they do in a situation like this? Excluding Naruto who had a "cheat" from the gods, most of the people present wouldn't stand a chance. That's considering they'd be able to break through the barrier in the first place.

Wait... Barrier?

"Aqua! You can break spells, can't you? Do you think you'd be able to bring down the Destroyer's barrier?"

Kazuma quickly asked Aqua who was… Plucking petals from a dandelion?

"Huh? Barrier? Sure, sure! Leave it to me… Hehehe…"

The water goddess chirped before she happily went back to plucking while giggling to herself.

…Creepy.

But with the barrier situation out of the way, all that was left was firepower!

"Megumin, Naruto! You two are going to have another Explosion match today!"

"A-an Explosion match? Using the Destroyer as out target!? K-K-Kazuma! I d-don't know if…"

Megumin suddenly started stuttering while looking down at the ground.

"Huh? Why are you of all people acting so out of character all of a sudden? This is a chance of a lifetime to prove just how great your precious Explosion magic is. That is, unless you've been nothing but talk this whole time?"

Kazuma questioned with a haughty shrug, and the little girl seemed to have taken the bait as her eyes flashed bright red.

"My name is Megumin! My calling is that of an Arch Wizard, wielder of the ultimate magic that is Explosion! Destroyer? Hah! Even the gods will tremble at the might of my power!"

Megumin declared while flipping her cape dramatically.

'This kid's not bad… He sure knows how to rile someone up.'

Jiraiya thought with a cunning grin as he stared at Kazuma. Maybe he was too quick to reject the kid as his pupil after all.

"Come, Naruto! Let us show these mortals the power of our-"

"No way. I'm gonna take on the Destroyer by myself."

Naruto casually interjected Megumin, causing the Crimson Mage to fall flat on her face.

"That's what I like to hear, Boss!"

Dust shouted his approval and sent his fellow blonde a thumbs up. He'd follow that man wherever he went! At a safe distance, of course.

Megumin struggled to stand and fell to her hands and knees. She then sent a death glare at the shinobi who dared to once again trample all over her pride.

"…Why? Why must you always ruin my cool speeches!?"

Ignoring the ranting mage, Naruto turned to the crowd and was about to declare that they could leave it all to him when Jiraiya suddenly pulled him to the side.

"I know what you're trying to do kid, but for your own sake, drop it!"

Jiraiya hissed into the younger boy's ear.

"Huh? But why? If I defeat the Destroyer with Kurama, then I'll become the savior of the town! I'll be doing just like you suggested by making myself well known as a hero."

"Right… But are you sure the fox would cooperate?"

Jiraiya wasn't doubting his student when Naruto said he had befriended the tailed beast. The kid had a way of changing people. It was just… Hard to believe the Nine Tailed Fox would ever become friendly, especially when he had almost lost his life trying to reseal a small fraction of its power.

"Of course! I'm sure the he'll be happy to hear that we'll be able to go all out for once! Right, Kurama?"

But when the tailed beast didn't respond, a cold sweat trailed down Naruto's back as thought reoccurred to him.

The seal… He forgot to undo the seal from back then.

With a shaky hand, Naruto reached at his stomach and twisted.

'H-hey buddy… Wanna help me fight the-'

 **'Kill yourself.'**

Kurama simply said before forcefully cutting their mental link.

. . .

"You're on, Megumin! I won't lose this time!"

* * *

The adventurers of Axel now stood at the front gates of the town. They were all staring off into the distance, waiting as the trail of smoke hidden behind the mountains drew closer.

Darkness stood a good way in front of the small army, both hands rested on her sword that was firmly planted into the ground.

At that moment, the female knight gave off the very picture of what an ideal knight would look like. At least, in the eyes of a random stranger.

"I hate to admit it, but you look kind of cool right now…"

"But we both know what's really going on in that head of yours."

Despite hearing the rude assumptions from the two boys that were now standing behind her, Darkness's expression remained neutral.

"I suspected you would think that, given my… Tastes. But that is not the case right now. I am responsible for this town and its people, and I will give my body and soul to protect both."

Darkness firmly stated without even looking back.

Kazuma looked at Naruto with a raised eyebrow, and the shinobi shrugged in response to the silent question.

"Is this the part where you start deluding the situation in favor of those tastes of yours?"

"Yeah, I could see her saying something about there being a torture room in the Destroyer or something and that she would bear all the responsibility and dive straight inside."

"!"

This managed to cause a minor fault in Darkness's face.

"…I see. So that's how you two view me. I guess I have no choice but to reveal the truth then."

Darkness looked up at the sky with a longing smile before turning to face the duo.

"My real name is Dustiness Ford Lalatina of the noble household of Dustiness. My family is the shield of the kingdom, and in turn, its people."

"!" x2

Naruto and Kazuma's eyes widened at the sudden revelation.

Darkness was a rich girl!? No, it all made sense now! Only a noble would lack as much common sense as this woman!

Aqua, as hard as it was to believe, was a goddess. So that was the reason why she lacked common sense in real situations. Megumin was from a clan of chuunibyou who lived to steal the spotlight.

Darkness was neither of those, so all that was left was a rich girl! It made perfect sense!

"But wait… If you're from a noble family, then why are you so weird?"

Naruto suddenly asked, and Kazuma nearly choked on his spit.

What was this idiot asking during such a touchy moment!?

"…"

When Kazuma saw Darkness shutter slightly, he resisted the urge to smack the clueless teen upside the head. He felt so bad he almost wanted to cry.

"P-please don't tell the others…"

Darkness silently pleaded, and it seemed Naruto finally understood the weight of the situation.

"O-oh… Sure thing."

Naruto said with a nod.

With that settled, Darkness sighed in relief. She knew she would be able to trust these two with her secret.

"As a knight, protecting the people of this town is my duty and honor. I apologize for being such a selfish party member…"

"It's fine. Just make sure to fall back if the frontline becomes too much for you."

Kazuma said, earning an appreciative nod from his party member. The boy then turned around to get back to his position, but not before bumping into Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto understood what Kazuma was trying to say and nodded.

"Um… Sorry about earlier Darkness-Er, Lalatina."

"I-it's fine! Just don't call me that!"

Darkness barked with a red face, causing Naruto to raise his hands apologetically.

The two stood there in silence, both staring at the mountains. The Destroyer would soon be upon them.

"Good luck… Lala-Chan."

"You little-"

Poof!

Darkness had lashed out when Naruto referred to her in such a ridiculous manner, but the shinobi's form had burst into smoke so there was nothing to grab.

"…"

Now standing by herself once again, Dustiness Ford Lalatina looked off into the distance with a face redder than a Crimson Demon's fashion sense.

* * *

"Wiz-San! Wiz-San!"

Yunyun shouted as she slammed on the door to the back room in Wiz's magic shop. After Naruto had won the fight, Wiz suddenly disappeared. Yunyun went to the magic store to search for her and found that Wiz had locked herself in the back of the shop.

The Destroyer was attacking, so Yunyun wanted to help the others fight. But she was also worried about Wiz… The shopkeeper had such a sad expression on her face, one that Yunyun was all too familiar with.

'Wiz-San… Why did she look so lonely back then?'

Naruto had won the fight, so it should have been a joyful moment. So what could have made the shopkeeper make such a lonely expression?

'Wait… Naruto-San and Mitsurugi-San were talking about something at the end.'

The young mage thought back to the end of the fight.

 _Promise me that… You'll make Aqua-Sama happy…_

Yunyun's eyes widened. This was just like one of the romance stories she once read!

A woman falls in love with a man who is in with another woman. The woman is forced to watch the man fight for another woman, and even helps her beloved in his love conquest. It was a story about unrequited love, and a very sad one at that because the main heroine ends up scarifying herself to protect her rival in love.

"I don't want Wiz-San to die!"

"Huh?"

Yunyun blinked when she heard a gasp and looked up to find a surprised Wiz standing in front of her. The shopkeeper must have come out at some point during her internal struggle.

"Wiz-San, you came out!"

"Of course I did! The Destroyer is attacking, so we have to help everyone right?"

Wiz said the obvious thing as she rushed around the store and started collecting various items that she thought would help.

Yunyun just stood there slack jawed, confused as to why the shopkeeper was acting so normal. Well, as normal as one would look while rushing to fight the Destroyer.

"…B-but what about your loneliness? The unrequited love? Y-you're not planning on sacrificing yourself for Aqua-San, are you!?"

"Eh? What are you talking about, Yunyun? By the way, I could have sworn I locked the shop's door when I got here…"

When Wiz started asking suspicious questions, Yunyun started sweating and decided brush things over by grabbing the older woman's hand and flying out the door.

"L-l-let's go help the others!"

* * *

"Alright everyone, here it comes! Get into position!"

Kazuma shouted from his post with Aqua, which was one of two towers on the sides of the front gate. He chose this spot not only to ensure his own safety, but also because it would make it easier to coordinate the adventurers. It was the best place for Megumin and Naruto to fire off their Explosion magic.

The Destroyer was now in full view and headed straight for the Town of Beginners. The massive construction held the appearance of a giant metal spider, as it had eight mechanical legs moving up and down and just as many eyes in the front.

It was an intimidating sight to behold, but they had they had a plan. They had a chance!

"You ready, guys!"

Kazuma shouted over to Naruto, who was standing on top of the other tower with Megumin.

"Yeah! Let's blow this thing to smithereens!"

Naruto gave his friend a thumbs up, then looked at Aqua and shouted again.

"Take that barrier out, will you Aqua? I'm counting on you!"

"O-of course I will! Just who do you think I am!?"

Aqua shouted back and looked away in a huff, but then she started trembling.

"He's counting on me… Guhehe…"

As Aqua started giggling to herself in a creepy fashion, Kazuma couldn't help but take a few steps away from the girl.

At the front of the adventurers, Jiraiya was watching the interactions between Naruto and his new friends. It was very interesting, to say the least. Naruto really was proving to be the best source for research for his novel.

"Alright then… Let's test this Destroyer's barrier."

Jiraiya mumbled to himself before he pulled out a kunai with a paper bomb attached to it.

The surrounding adventurers watched the sage in anticipation and followed the strangely shaped knife when he suddenly threw it in the direction of the Destroyer.

The Destroyer was still a good distance away, so the adventurers didn't expect the strange knife to get very far. But they were surprised when the knife disappeared from their point of view a so quickly.

Boom!

The paper bomb detonated upon hitting what seemed to be an invisible wall, but it didn't seem to make any noticeable effects.

'Hm… Let's hope that troublesome girl can take that barrier down.'

Jiraiya thought while rubbing his chin as the adventurers around him cheered. If only he could summon the toads… No, even with the toad's help he still wasn't sure if they would have been able to take down that magical barrier.

"Naruto! What the heck was that!? Did that perverted old fart just use Explosion magic!?"

Megumin demanded as she looked over the tower wall on her tiptoes, and almost looked as though she would fall.

"Don't lean over the wall like that, it's dangerous."

Naruto scolded as he pulled the mage away from the edge, earning a hearty pout from the little girl.

"But to answer your question, Ero-Senin used a paper bomb. It's a seal that we ninja attach to our kunai when we need more firepower and don't want to use ninjutsu."

Naruto explained as he pulled out a kunai and attached one of his own paper bombs.

"Heh… I guess you could call it a mini-Explos-Hey! What are you-"

Boom!

Megumin snatched the kunai out of Naruto's hand and chucked it over the side of the wall as hard as she could. Since her throwing arm was nowhere near as good as Jiraiya's, the kunai landed not farther than fifty feet in front of the crowd of adventurers.

"Hey! Watch where you're aiming that Explosion magic!"

"Are you trying to kill us, huh!?"

"S-sorry!"

As the rowdy men started cussing them out, Naruto tried to his best to apologize in Megumin's stead.

"It is like Explosion magic… That's cheating!"

Megumin shouted and grabbed onto Naruto's ninja pouch to find the rest of the treacherous papers.

"H-hey, what're you doing!? Stop!"

"I'm confiscating those papers to dispose of them! Their very existence is heresy in the eyes of Explosion magic!"

As Naruto and Megumin rolled around the top of their tower, Kazuma watched with a twitching eye.

"What are those two doing? Whatever… Hey, Aqua. The Destroyer's almost here. You can take out the barrier at this range, right?"

Kazuma asked while pinching the bridge of his nose. But when the goddess failed to answer he turned to find the girl laying flat on her back, red-faced and steam coming out of her ears.

…Well that wasn't good.

* * *

 **A/N: Uh oh… Looks like Aqua isn't going to be able to take out the barrier this time around~**

 **By the way, I'm issuing a challenge to anyone who would like to do a Reading of this story. If you're interested, leave it in a review or P.M. me~**

 **See you in the next one!**


	47. The Destroyer Part 2

**A/N: Just want to give a friendly reminder to those that think Naruto could solo the Destroyer in his base form… Naruto does NOT have Six Paths Chakra in this story. His chakra attacks are equal to mana in this story, so Massive Rasengan spamming won't 'magically bypass the barrier'. The Destroyer's barrier required the Spell Break of a GODDESS in canon, and I intend to keep that threat. Don't underestimate KonoSuba's best worst girl Aqua.**

 **In conclusion, Naruto can't solo the Destroyer in this story without Kurama's help.**

* * *

"Hey, isn't the Destroyer getting a little too close? What are those guys doing?"

Dust questioned while looking up at the gate's towers, and a few others shared his concern.

With the Destroyer's imminent approach, the adventurers holding the frontline began to grow weary.

They were fully aware of the plan, and the walking fortress should have been in range for the Arch Priest in Kazuma's party to dispel the magic barrier. So why haven't they?

"They didn't leave us behind, did they? How could you do this to me, Boss!? Take me with you-Gah!"

"Quiet, you. You're gonna cause the others to panic with your idiocy."

Lynn smacked Dust with her staff when he started panicking and tried to run towards the gate. She then looked up at the towers worriedly herself.

What was taking those guys so long?

* * *

"Aqua!? Hey, we kinda need you right now! Aqua-San!?"

Kazuma panicked as he shook the red-faced priestess by the shoulders.

"Fuehehe…"

Aqua giggled to herself with a glazed expression.

…It was no use. The girl was completely out of it.

'How did this happen? She was fine just a moment ago…'

Kazuma pondered as he lay his party member onto the ground.

But then, Aqua mumbled something whilst in her delusional state.

* * *

 **Earlier…**

"O-of course I will! Just who do you think I am?"

Aqua shouted back at Naruto while looking away with a huff.

What did that stupid ninja think of her anyway? Did he think that she was some useless bumkin of a goddess who couldn't even break a simple barrier?

Of course not! After all, he said 'that'!

"Guehehe… He's counting on me…"

Aqua started giggling to herself when she realized Naruto was basically admitting that he couldn't live without her.

What an unreasonable fellow. Even after saying 'that', he was making her do all the work in this fight.

But knowing that man, he'll likely claim that he was the one who did all the work and say that she should be the one giving the reward.

…Reward

 _ **Aqua's Imagination**_

" _Aqua-San, I defeated the Destroyer."_

 _Naruto, whose face extremely exaggerated, said as he stood over a pile of rubble that was the Destroyer. He then hopped down and walked over to her, until he was staring right into her eyes. Those dazzling eyes that were as blue as the ocean._

" _But I didn't do it for the others, especially not for that lich-"_

 _The blonde reached out and caressed her cheek before saying._

" _-I did it for you, my beautiful goddess."_

 _Will you give me a reward?_

* * *

 **Present…**

"N-no, you stupid… stalker ninja…! If you kiss me… you'll get me pregnant…!"

Aqua mumbled before she continued with her creepy giggling.

. . .

Kazuma stared at the first companion he had in this godforsaken world, the person who he had come to learn was as stubborn and self-centered as they came. The girl that looked down on her party members despite being the most useless one and spurned the man she obviously had a crush on, even going as far as to encourage him to getting a girlfriend that wasn't her.

That same prideful tsundere was currently having strange fantasies about the very man she refused to acknowledge she had feelings for!

"Naruto! What did you do to Aqua!?"

"Hah!? What are you talking about? Actually, the Destroyer is almost here! Tell Aqua to destroy the barrier so Megumin and I can-"

Naruto barked when he was suddenly accused for some reason, but Kazuma cut him off. He was still struggling with Megumin, who was trying her best to get her hands on his explosive tags.

"She's completely out of it! I'll try to snap her out of it, so use your hax abilities to buy me some time!"

"My what…? Wait, why do I have to buy you time!?"

Naruto tilted his head in confusion for second before his rage turned back on in full throttle.

"This is your fault, so think of something!"

Kazuma barked back and continued to shake Aqua's form in an attempt to snap her out of whatever delusions she was having.

Naruto grumbled to himself but understood that now wasn't the time to bicker with one another. First, he let go of his ninja pouch, causing Megumin to flop to the ground on her butt. He then created a couple shadow clones before closing his eyes.

'Hey, Kurama. I'm sorry about before, but we could really use your help right now…'

'…'

'Look, I promise I'll make it up to you. Just please help me out! I can't let this town be destroyed because I was stupid and forgot to reopen the seal!'

'… **Fine.'**

Kurama finally said. The brat could have used his chakra regardless, but he didn't. Naruto always chose to respect the fox's wishes, even if it meant making things harder for him. They held a mutual understanding and respected one another.

For that reason, Kurama was willing to look past the boy's forgetfulness and help.

Naruto was about to jump for when the fox added.

' **In one condition. You have to stall that hunk of metal with your own power for ten minutes. Do that, and I'll allow you to use my power.'**

Although they had a mutual understanding, Kurama wanted to see Naruto squirm. Just a little more… It was more interesting that way.

'W-what!? I can't… AH, fine! I'll do it!'

Naruto, not wanting to anger the fox again, agreed to its unreasonable terms. But if he was going to stall the Destroyer for that long, he was going to need everyone's help.

With a nod of his head, one clone jumped down from the tower and the others got to work on gathering nature energy.

"Ah! Yunyun!? What are you doing here!? Don't tell me you're trying to steal my spotlight! You sneaky girl… They always say to look out for the quiet ones."

Megumin suddenly shouted while hiding the ninja pouch behind her back, and Naruto turned to see Yunyun and Wiz climbing over the wall and onto the tower with them.

"Who's 'they'!? I'd really like you to introduce me… Wah! The Destroyer's almost here! N-N-N-Naruto-San! W-what are we going to do!?"

Yunyun started bickering with her rival only to gasp in surprise when she finally noticed the Destroyer in the distance.

"Naruto-San, we've come to help!"

Wiz said fiercely and rushed over to the blonde's side. She seemed to be carrying a bag, and Naruto grinned when he realized what was inside.

They may just be able to pull this off.

* * *

Jiraiya was about to run up the walls of the tower to find out what was going on when one of Naruto's shadow clones appeared next to him.

"Something's wrong with Aqua, she can't dispel the barrier… But Kurama will take care of the Destroyer if we can hold it off for ten minutes."

The clone whispered into the older sage's ear.

Jiraiya sighed. It seemed that bratty goddess hadn't changed a bit since back then.

"Alright, kid. I'll buy you as much time as I can. In exchange, I'd like you to show me that mastered Rasengan of yours."

He said with a smirk, to which Naruto's clone returned along with a nod before it dispersed itself.

'…So I say, but how the hell am I supposed to stop this thing?'

Jiraiya thought while scratching the back of his head. The Destroyer was roughly the same size as a Biju, and Jiraiya no longer had the toads to back him.

Oh well. Time to wing it.

"Listen up people! There's been a change of plans! Priests will apply buffs! Mages, archers! On my signal, hit the Destroyer with everything you've got! Vanguards! Hold the frontlines!"

The sannin shouted, and the adventurers immediately fell in line. It was an unspoken rule to follow the orders of an elite adventurer in times of emergencies, so no questioned Jiraiya's orders and simply did as they were told.

The archers and mages gathered around Jiraiya, with the priests and priestesses behind them. The adventurers whose classes were close-quarters based formed a defensive line in front of everyone.

"Priests! Apply buffs!"

One of the other higher ranked adventurers shouted, and the surrounding priests started chanting their buffing spells.

When the buffs were applied to the ranged fighters and Jiraiya himself he rushed forward, all the while weaving through a couple of hand seals.

Just as he passed the surprised female Crusader at the front, he placed his hands onto the ground and shouted.

" **Earth Style: Bottomless Swamp!"**

The large portion of the earth in front of the two sank as it turned into a lake of mud just as the Destroyer got within fifty meters of them.

 **Rumble!**

As the Destroyer stepped into the mud lake and fumbled in its stance, and the sound of metal crashing into the earth could be heard as it fell.

Jiraiya smirked at his handywork as the ground shook. The buffs from the priests worked better than he anticipated. But even with the buffs, it still took a lot of his chakra to create a mud bath this big.

At that moment-

"Lightning!"

"Firebolt!"

"Snipe!"

The adventurers took the Destroyer's fumble as the signal and began to open fire.

When Jiraiya saw the projectiles headed their way, his eyes widened when he looked at Darkness. He was originally going to run back after using his jutsu, but he forgot the woman was here!

The beautiful knight whose armor did very little to hide her voluptuous figure! It was a shame she was a few years bellow his strike zone… But now wasn't the time for such matters, the adventurers' attacks were almost upon them!

"Hey, we're sitting ducks out here girl! Let's head back to the others before-"

"I refuse!"

"…Huh?"

Jiraiya fumbled in his steps when the Crusader flat out refused his proposal of finding shelter. Did she have a death wish or something?

"Danger from the front… Danger from the back! I couldn't ask for a more thrilling battle!"

Darkness claimed, her hands firmly remaining on the hilt of her great sword. Her demeaner was serious, but the wild look in her eyes…

'Ah. She's one of those.'

Jiraiya thought with a pitiful expression before weaving through a couple hand seals. Since the crazy woman wasn't going to move, he might as well make them some protection.

Placing his hands onto the ground again, a small rock shelter rose out of the ground just in time to protect them from the arrows and magic spells.

The older man sighed in relief and looked at the Crusader.

"There, we should be safe for the time being."

"…Thank you."

Was it just him or did she sound a little disappointed?

Shaking his head, Jiraiya looked back at the Destroyer and watched as it struggled to get out of the mud lake while being volleyed by the adventurers' ranged attacks.

This wasn't going to be enough to stop the Destroyer for very long, that much was certain. But hopefully it would buy enough time for Naruto and the others.

* * *

"You're doing great everyone! Keep it up!"

Dust shouted cheerfully as a means of keeping the adventures' morale high, but it only resulted in a handful of distasteful glances.

"Wow, tough crowd. They should be grateful that the great Dust-Sama is cheering them on."

"Shut up! If you're not going to stand in the frontlines with Taylor, then start chucking rocks or something!"

Keith shouted as he loaded his bow for the umpteenth time.

"Yeah, if you're not gonna be helpful like usual then just go home already!"

Lynn heatedly agreed and fired off her twelfth fireball.

They were both starting to run low on arrows/mana, and seeing Dust doing absolutely nothing was pissing them off.

'What an unreasonable bunch those two are. It's a good thing I'm was teamed up with Boss Naruto now. Although, I kind of missed my old party.'

Dust thought with a longing expression.

They weren't the strongest party, but at least he didn't have to worry about getting stepped on, eaten, or torn in half like he heard happened to Kazuma the other day.

…Hang on. Now that he thought about, teaming up with Naruto was actually kind of dangerous. The rewards were always nice, and Naruto and Yunyun usually did most of the work. But they faced strong monsters during every quest and unlike Kazuma's party who had a priestess who could bring people back to life, their priestess was completely useless!

Heck, she even charged you for heals!

While Dust was questioning his party situation, a high-pitched screeching sound could be heard from the towers.

"Dust-San! Tell the others to get down!"

"Huh? Oh, Yunyun! Did you come to cheer me on? I appreciate your enthusiasm, but it's gonna take a lot more than that to get me to lower my strike zone!"

Dust said when he saw Yunyun running towards him with a strange looking ball in her hands.

"What are you… This isn't the time for your nonsense! Naruto-San said that everyone needs to get down! Help me warn everyone!"

Yunyun snapped and ran off to do the job Naruto had given her.

Dust scratched his cheek, he wasn't expecting the younger girl to snap like that. But he did what he was told and ran off to tell the adventurers to stand down.

* * *

"Alright everyone… Let's give that giant metal spider thing all we've got!"

Naruto shouted and raised his arm in preparation to give the others the order to fire.

Megumin, Wiz, and three of Naruto's clones who were in sage mode stood on each side of them as they began to chant.

Thanks to Jiraiya and the others they had enough time to form a new plan, which was to blow the Destroyer to smithereens with twice as much Explosion magic as they originally planned!

Wiz had brought the high quality manatite crystals she had foolishly purchased for the store, so they would be able to cast the spell with half the effort!

Also, apparently Wiz knew Explosion magic too. Who would have thought?

Megumin was a little nervous, as she wasn't used to seeing so many Explosion spells being chanted at the same time. But her excitement far exceeded that, and she refused to be left behind Naruto and Wiz!

So, with her staff in one hand and the manatite crystal in the other, she poured all her mana into her spell.

"-come from the abyss!"

Just as Megumin and Wiz both completed their chants, the clones raised their hands and formed a crimson Rasenshuriken.

"Fire!"

" **Explosion!" x2**

" **Explosion Series: Rasenshuriken!" x2**

The balls of condensed mana shot out of Megumin's staff and Wiz's hand, and at the same time the chakra/mana shuriken were thrown by the clones.

But as the projectiles made their way towards the Destroyer, a grave feeling washed over Naruto and it wasn't until he heard Kazuma's shouts that he realized what his gut was trying to tell him.

"Naruto! Darkness and Ero-Senin are too close to the Destroyer!"

Naruto ran over to the wall and looked where Kazuma was pointing, and he could see the small rock formation that Jiraiya had made.

That wasn't going to be enough to protect them from the Explosions.

Why didn't Jiraiya bring Darkness back to the gate!?

…No. He probably tried, but Darkness didn't listen to him. Jiraiya also didn't know the power of Explosion magic, let alone two and Naruto's Rasenshuriken variants!

' **Ready when you are, brat.'**

Kurama suddenly said, which was all Naruto needed to hear as his body flashed golden.

* * *

"Come on, I said! I can sense a huge amount of mana coming from the gate! Naruto's planning something big, and that kid usually goes overboard! This little cover ain't gonna be enough!"

Jiraiya tried reasoning with the stubborn knight, but Darkness remained unmoved.

"As I said, my role as a knight is to remain at the frontlines! If Naruto is planning something big, then all the more reason I should remain here!"

Darkness responded, but the blush on her face was telling Jiraiya exactly what was going on in her head.

"You stubborn little…!"

"H-hey! Where do you think you're grabbing! Unhand me!"

Jiraiya had tried forcing the woman out of the rock formation and back to the gate but Darkness was quick to retaliate and struggled immensely, and she was surprisingly strong.

"Don't struggle or I might grab somewhere I want to!"

"D-don't think I'm okay with just any old man laying their hands on me!"

"O-old!?"

As the two continued to struggle against each other, a faint screeching sound that they heard a few moments ago suddenly grew very loud.

At this point, Jiraiya had managed to get Darkness out of their rock cover and the two looked up to see five streams of light headed in their direction. One of which, was headed straight for them.

"Holy-"

Jiraiya shouted and covered Darkness with his body in a last-ditch effort to protect her.

 **BOOM!**

The two were helpless to the shockwave that followed the series of Explosions and were easily lifted off the ground.

But they felt no pain. In fact, a familiar warmth washed over their bodies. Despite the horrific noise, they felt at peace.

When sounds of the Explosion magic settled, Jiraiya let go of Darkness and opened his eyes. What he saw shocked him to his very core.

"…Minato?"

"Heh… Not quite, Ero-Senin."

Naruto said with a light chuckle as he looked back at his mentor. He was expecting a reaction like that, but it always felt nice to be compared to his father.

Jiraiya was at awe at his student's appearance. His body was shrouded in a yellow, almost golden aura. Black lines covered every inch of his body, and even his whisker marks seemed more defined. But when he saw his student's red eyes, he realized what was going on.

"This is… The Kyuubi's chakra."

"Yup!"

Naruto chirped a simple response, then looked at Darkness who opened her eyes.

"…Naruto? Where are we, and why are you glowing?"

Darkness asked as she looked around the transparent room.

…Transparent.

"Wah!"

The female knight yelped and attached herself to Naruto's leg when she got a full view of Kurama's transparent avatar and saw that she was _very_ high up in air.

"Amazing… I always knew you would master the Kyuubi's chakra, but this is…"

Jiraiya said as he looked down at the remains of the Destroyer. It seemed like the combined Explosion magic was just enough firepower to bypass the Destroyer's barrier, and Naruto shielded them from that blast at point blank range.

" **Cheh! You haven't seen a fraction of my power, toad hermit! But be grateful this brat cherishes you! Don't think I've forgotten all those times you stopped me from escaping!"**

Kurama barked, prompting the toad sage to yelp in surprise.

Naruto laughed at their antics, but their moment of fun was cut short when a robotic voice came from the now crippled Destroyer.

" **Alert! Alert! System Failure! Self-Destruct mode initiated!"**

"Looks like it's not over yet… Ready, Kurama?"

Naruto asked his lifelong partner, and his response was a grunt.

* * *

Yunyun dropped to her hands and knees. It took her all to just keep the wind from that combined Explosion magic from blowing them all away.

The job Naruto had given her was not only to tell the adventurers to stand down, but also to shield them from the shockwave that would follow their attack.

The moment the Explosions hit the destroyer, Yunyun had casted the most powerful wind spell in her arsenal using the high quality manatite Wiz had brought.

" **Alert! Alert! System Failure! Self-Destruct mode initiated!"**

But even after that, it seemed the battle wasn't over.

"Y-Yunyun! Are you okay?"

Dust, after getting over his shock of seeing the tailed beast, ran over to the young mage when she collapsed due to mana exhaustion.

As Dust held her up, Yunyun looked at the Kurama avatar as it began to move.

'Naruto-San… You really are amazing… Please finish this.'

* * *

"That's… I can't even."

Kazuma said with his jaw dropped. Not only was Naruto able to outrun the Explosion magic, but he manifested the complete nine-tailed fox avatar in time to protect Darkness and Jiraiya.

That power was insane! What the hell was Naruto still doing in this town of beginners!?

Wiz had Megumin propped on her back so she could watch what would happen shortly.

"Huh? Hey, what's with all the noise? Is it over? Did we win?"

Aqua asked as she stood up next to Kazuma, who simply grabbed her head and pointed her towards the sight in front of them.

"…Ehhhhh!?"

It all happened in a flash.

The giant fox grabbed onto the remnants of the Destroyer, chucked it into the air, and proceeded to shoot what looked like Explosion magic at the air-suspended fortress out of its mouth.

It wasn't Explosion magic. Not even close.

No, this was the technique Naruto had showed Kazuma and Megumin that one time. The one that vaporized an entire mountain.

" **Bijuu-Dama!"**

The explosion that followed lit up the sky for a couple seconds, and Kazuma thanked Goddess Eris that Naruto chose to use his technique in the air.

* * *

This concludes the first part of Shinobi's Take on this Wonderful World.

* * *

 **A/N: I'd like to thank you all for joining me on this Wonderful journey. Your support via reviews, P.M.s and such Blessings to me. ^^**

 **Ah, before you all start thinking it's over, remember that I said "first part"! I was just trying to be dramatic~**

 **Updates will continue on Monday, like usual. ;)**

 **See you all in the next one!**


	48. Aftermath

**Vanir: Fuahaha! Thy negative emotions when thou thought the story was over were quite delicious! Indeed, they were quite tasty! Moi cannot wait until moi appearance in this blasphemous story... Fuahaha-**

 **A/N: Ahem! Sorry about that… That troublesome devil is getting a little impatient. But we'll all be seeing him very soon.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Emergency Quest Complete!_

"With the combined efforts of Naruto-San and everyone, the Destroyer has been defeated! On behalf of the guild staff and the citizens of Axel, we thank you very much!"

Luna cheerfully said before she bowed deeply, along with the other guild staff members.

The adventurers roared upon seeing this, and the celebration begun. Everyone began to drink like there was no tomorrow, and dance around like fools.

Kazuma would have done the same, but first he had more pressing matters to attend to.

"What did I say? The Destroyer didn't stand a chance against us with me around! Wahaha!"

Aqua shouted before downing her third mug of ale in one go.

"Yes! I hope we get to face against another foe like the Destroyer soon!"

Darkness agreed and started drinking from her own mug.

"You two didn't do a thing. In fact, you were both more of a handicap this time around."

Kazuma retorted, causing the two women to spew ale from their mouths.

"What!? Say that again you shitty NEET!"

"I-I wasn't useless, was I Kazuma!?"

Aqua and Darkness both yelled at Kazuma, who only stared at the two with a distasteful look.

That's right, because the one who did most of the work this time around was Naruto.

"I can't believe this is the same brat I met at the hot springs all those years ago… To think you not only mastered the Rasengan, but even combined it with Explosion magic! But not only that! You managed to befriend the Nine-Tailed Fox! The Destroyer didn't stand a chance! As expected of my prized pupil! Gahahaha!"

Jiraiya praised the young blonde with a hearty laugh and slapped him on the back.

"Yeah, Naruto was great out there!"

"I always knew there was something special about that guy!"

"Free cheers for Naruto!"

As the ever-so rowdy adventurers cheered, Naruto scratched at his whisker-marks awkwardly. He wanted to retort and call out their BS, but their cheers made him decide otherwise.

"Don't forget that we were able to bypass the Destroyer's barrier because of the combined forces of our Explosion magic!"

Megumin chimed in while stepping in front of Naruto in an attempt to steal the spotlight.

"That's right! The shopkeeper was there too!"

"Not to mention that shorty who shielded us from the shockwave!"

"Yeah, where is that little shorty? I want to thank her!"

Megumin stumbled on her own feet when the adventurers ran over to Yunyun, who was now hiding behind Naruto from the sudden attention. How dare that socially awkward girl steal her moment!

"T-t-thank you all…! I-I'm just glad everyone is safe!"

Yunyun stuttered extremely hard as the crowd praised her.

Naruto laughed as Yunyun clutched his vest tightly while staring at the floor. The poor girl… She was probably both happy and terrified right now.

"Ahem… Naruto-San? May I have a word?"

Luna said and poked the shinobi's shoulder, and the crowd immediately quieted down and gave the two some room.

"What's up, Luna-Chan?"

Naruto asked the receptionist, who seemed to be troubled over something.

"Oho~? Do I smell a confession? Damn it, I'm so jealous right now but at the same time I'm so proud of you Boss!"

Dust shouted, and in turn his fellow male adventurers started hollering and whistling.

"Eh!?"

Luna squeaked in surprise and grew even more troubled. She was trying to apologize for keeping Naruto from doing harder quests, and now they were expecting her to confess!?

Should she!? No… This wasn't the time or place for such a thing!

'Remain calm… Think professional… Professional…'

Yunyun stared at the pretty receptionist with calculating eyes. This one might prove to be a problem for Wiz in the future…

"Don't mind them, Luna-Chan. They're just messing around."

Naruto said dismissively and gave the adventures a look to get them to stop.

"R-right…"

Luna reluctantly agreed with a twitching eyebrow. Of course Naruto wouldn't bat an eye to a situation like this… What was she even worried about?

"Anyways, I would like to apologize for my earlier behavior. I shouldn't have kept you from taking on those difficult quests. But if you would allow me to be selfish one more time, I would appreciate it if you could take care of some of those quests for me…"

"Hehe… Why didn't you say so? Of we will, right Yunyun?"

"R-right! Please take care of me, Naruto-San!"

Naruto said and grinned a toothy grin, and Yunyun stumbled into a polite bow.

"Naruto and the Crimson Demon… They make quite the pair!"

"Don't you have a beautiful priestess in your party too?"

"Yeah, she healed my wounds the other day!"

"Hey! What about me!? I'm a part of Boss's party too!"

Dust shouted and started picking fights with some of the adventurers who were excluding him, and Naruto had to keep the delinquent from going too far.

During all this, Kazuma sat at a secluded table with a seething Megumin.

Sigh… Wasn't this supposed to me his story? His fantasy story of becoming a hero, getting the girl, and striking it rich?

'But all I have is these three…'

Kazuma thought with a scrunched-up face as he looked at his "problem children". Darkness was currently rushing Aqua outside who was spewing rainbows form her mouth, while Megumin was whispering something dark about how she was going to get back at Naruto and Yunyun.

…Stupid fake ninja and his stupid Shonen tropes.

"Forty-million Eris!?"

Naruto suddenly shouted, bringing Kazuma's attention back to the center of the crowd. The receptionist must have told him what the reward for defeating the Destroyer was… But did he just say forty-million!?

"Yes. The guild staff came to an agreement that you deserved a large portion of the bounty, and the adventurers all chipped in as well."

Luna said with a smile and handed the whiskered teen a small slip of paper.

"You guys…"

Naruto said while looking at his fellow adventurers with wide eyes.

"You deserve it, Boss! Though… I wouldn't mind if you spared a little for me-Oof!"

Dust started asking for money when Lynn dug her elbow into his ribs.

"What are you gonna do with the money?"

"I say buy a mansion!"

"Mansion! Mansion! Mansion!"

As the guild started shouting suggestions, Naruto rubbed his eyes with his sleeve.

"Thanks guys… But I'd like to use this money to pay off Kazuma's debt."

"!"

Kazuma's jaw dropped, along with everyone else's when Naruto handed the slip of paper back to Luna.

His party's debt was forty-four million Eris… So they were almost clear!

"T-that's a lot of money, Naruto! You could buy a bigger mansion than ours like you wanted to! You don't have to waste that money on a guy like me! Why are you…!"

Kazuma shouted, and he didn't know why he was suddenly so angry. Something about Naruto giving all that money away to help him struck a chord. All this time, the people around him caused him nothing but trouble…

Doing something like this, after he was just badmouthing him in the guy mind was unfair!

"Kazuma… You were the first person to help me in this world, remember? You helped me start my life as an adventurer, so think of this as my way of paying you back."

Naruto exclaimed with a bright smile and gave the teen a thumbs up, and Kazuma was completely and utterly defeated.

It was at that moment Kazuma realized that Naruto was his one true friend in this shitty world. The blonde wasn't perfect, but he was the only person Kazuma felt he could truly rely on in his time of need.

Jiraiya smiled knowingly before he walked towards the door. This was the part of Naruto that made him stand out. Not his loud and obnoxious voice, nor his flashy jutsu. It was kindness, and with that kindness, Jiraiya was sure Naruto would be able to change this world.

'You're a good kid Naruto… Don't ever change.'

The sage thought as he walked out the door, but not before glancing back at his prized pupil one last time. The next time the met, he would show him the Succubus shop. Because knowing Naruto and his obsession with training, the boy likely never learned about the joyous service this town had to offer.

"You… Sniff! You selfless bastard!"

Kazuma sniffled and hid his tearing eyes from everyone when they started teasing him.

Naruto grinned to himself, not noticing the longing look he was getting from Luna who quickly corrected her expression before anyone saw.

Everything was perfect right now… His reputation was cleared, Kazuma's debt was all but paid for, and most importantly, everyone was safe.

Nothing could ruin this moment-

Slam!

The guild doors suddenly slammed open and a woman with long black hair wearing glasses, as well as a blue skirt, vest, and hat marched inside with a small platoon of police officers behind her.

"Naruto Uzumaki! You are coming with us!"

The woman shouted while pointing directly at the shinobi.

"…Huh?"

Naruto tilted his head to the side in confusion and looked to Luna, but the receptionist seemed to be just as confused.

"You are under arrest for the suspicion of being a demon that is affiliated with the Demon King's army. If you would follow us-"

"Bullshit! Naruto just saved this town, and all of us in it!"

"Yeah! This man also gave up forty-million Eris to help a friend!"

"Are you telling us such a man is a demon!?"

The adventurers quickly came to Naruto's defense, and then Luna stepped forward.

"If I may, Naruto-San is a valued adventurer of this guild. He has been helping us out by doing the durian quests that have been causing us trouble for quite some time. His power is a bit of a surprise, but on behalf of the guild staff, I do not believe he is affiliated with the Demon King's Army in any way."

Luna calmly stated, but the policewoman simply straightened her glasses.

"This man once claimed to have a demon sealed inside of him a few weeks ago, yes? With that display of power earlier today, who's to say that demon isn't the one speaking to us right now?"

"Yes, but…"

"If he proves his innocence, then he's innocent. But for now, we're taking this man in for some questioning. Anyone who makes this arrest any more difficult will be treated accordingly."

"…"

When Luna and the adventurers failed to think of a response, the police began to advance towards Naruto again.

"H-hey, wait a second! I can explain! I did say that I have a demon sealed inside of me, but Kurama wouldn't hurt a-Actually, that's not true… B-but I promise you're all safe around me!"

Naruto tried to defend himself, but the officers already had him in cuffs and were leading him out the door. He tried to look around the guild for help, but Jiraiya was nowhere to be seen and everyone else just adverted their gazes. Even Dust was sending him an apologetic look.

It was to be expected though, as even Naruto knew that adventurers were well known for not getting along with the authorities.

'Oh well… Guess I'll just go with them for now and clear things up later.'

Naruto thought with a sigh and sent Yunyun a smile when he saw her flustered state. He was about to be led through the doors when Kazuma suddenly stepped in their way.

"My name is Satou Kazuma! I am the adventurer who led the defense against the Demon King General, the Dullahan! By my name as an adventurer, I insist that Naruto is, by no shape or form, affiliated with the Demon King Army!"

Kazuma shouted with his arms crossed and feet planted firmly on the ground.

"Kazuma…"

Naruto said with wide eyes. He knew Kazuma wouldn't let him down! Even against the authorities, his friend would back him up!

Kazuma smirked at his friend. Exploiting flaws in the system was one of his strong suits, so now it was his time to shine!

"Is this how your system works? You just arrest someone because you think they're a demon with hardly any proof? Well let me tell you. Naruto has been working himself to the bone to help this town! Just ask anyone in this room!"

This got a few positive murmurs in the crowd, which caused Kazuma's smirk to grow. Just a little more and he'd revive everyone's courage.

"But if that's not enough, then you'll have to take me too!"

* * *

It turned out the other adventurers had no intention helping them, so Naruto and Kazuma now sat inside of a stone cell together.

"…"

"…I appreciate you trying, Kazuma."

Naruto tried comforting his friend, but the boy continued to stare at the wall emotionlessly.

"…Those guys just abandoned us. After everything we did for them. Why should we even bother risking our lives to defeat the Demon King anyways? When I get out, I'm just gonna stay in my mansion and live a safe life of leisure. Let's see what happens next time a Demon King Army General shows up!"

Kazuma finally said and started ranting about becoming a fulltime NEET again.

Naruto sweatdropped, but he knew Kazuma didn't really mean all of that… Hopefully.

—After a few hours, night finally came and the two were beginning to grow bored. All they had was a thin mat to lay on the stone-cold floor, so forget sleeping.

"Hey, why do you want to defeat the Demon King anyways?"

Kazuma suddenly asked since he nothing better to do.

"I don't know… I just want to help people, ya know? Oh, and fight strong opponents too! Yeah, the Demon King is probably strong right?"

Naruto said and grew excited over the talk about the Demon King. He wondered how powerful the leader of army that threatened mankind was.

"Why are you so battle hungry? I know you have that "cheat" from the gods, but aren't you scared when facing strong monsters?"

Kazuma asked while smiling awkwardly, because that was something he could never understand about the blonde. During the fight with the Dullahan, he was terrified until they started winning the battle in that ridiculous manner. He thought he was going to shit his pants when the Winter Shogun appeared, and he probably did when that abominable snowman showed up and tore him in half…

Just thinking of his second death sent shivers down his spine.

"Hm… I guess fighting is just second nature to me. I've been fighting all my life, so I don't know any better."

Naruto responded after giving it some thought.

Kazuma frowned. If Naruto really was telling him the truth, and the guy really was from a village of ninja with a "ninja academy", then that would make him a child soldier. He felt relieved to have been born in in the safe Japan.

"Why do you want to defeat the Demon King?"

Naruto asked, causing his fellow prisoner to snicker.

"The gods promised to grant me a wish if I defeated the Demon King! You know what that means? Anything I want! Power, wealth, real harems! Hahahaha… Hah…!"

Kazuma explained and started laughing, but his laughter died down when he felt the strange look Naruto was giving him.

"…Fine. I guess I haven't really thought about it. Maybe I'd like to become a hero, or something…"

God, saying that out loud was lot cheesier than he thought it was going to be. He could already feel Naruto's cheeky grin without even looking.

"A hero, huh? That wouldn't be so bad-"

Boom!

A familiar sounding boom caused the two boys to sit up. The cell lit up for a few seconds before everything went back to normal.

"Was that… Explosion magic?"

Kazuma asked, earning a shrug from Naruto. At the same time, a whisper came from the bared window.

"Ptts! Naruto! Kazuma! I've come to rescue you!"

Aqua whispered as her face popped up in the window.

"Aqua…? Rescue us? Why would we want to escape? Wouldn't that only make things worse?"

Kazuma asked, but Aqua simply rolled her eyes.

"Silly Kazuma... It's common knowledge that people who are accused of being demons are executed. They'll twist the truth to make you look guilty and that'll be it. So being the kind and merciful me, I've come to get you out! You can praise me now if you want."

Naruto and Kazuma shared a look. On one hand, they didn't know much about this world so what Aqua was saying might actually be true. On the other hand… This was Aqua.

"What do you suppose we do then?"

Naruto asked just to see what the goddess had in mind.

"Fufufu… I knew you'd be helpless without me. As a token of my appreciation, I'll let you spoil me all you like when we get home before we skip town. By the way, Cecily gave me the extra key to your inn room."

Aqua passively added the last part, causing a tick-mark to form on Naruto's forehead.

"She what!?"

Did he even have an extra key?

"Shhh! Do you want the guards to hear us!? Anyways, Darkness and Megumin are distracting the authorities with Explosion magic. Use this time to break out with this!"

The priestess hissed before tossing something into their cell, and a small metal pick landed on the floor with a clank.

Naruto looked at the bared door, to which he and Kazuma previously discovered was locked by a combination lock.

"…Wow, thanks Aqua! We'll meet you at the front when we get out of here!"

The shinobi said with an exaggerated tone, and Kazuma cringed when Aqua's smile actually grew.

"H-hmph! Of course! I'll be waiting for you at the front!"

Aqua chirped before hopping down from the window.

While Naruto snickered to himself, he Kazuma was giving him a flat look.

"What?"

"Nothing… I'm going to bed."

"…?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, sensing that there was more to Kazuma's look than he was letting on. But he shrugged and tossed the lockpick out the window before laying down himself.

Their questioning was being held in the morning.

* * *

 **A/N: In case you didn't already know… The police in KonoSuba are actually dressed like modern police officers for whatever reason. XD**


	49. Easy Questions

**A/N: zubhanw3c is this story's new beta! Thank you for Blessing this story with your Wonderful beta skills! ^^**

* * *

"My name is Sena. I will be in charge of your questioning today, so shall we get started, Uzumaki-San?"

"Just call me Naruto… That makes me sound old."

The stern police lady with the glasses, who was now dubbed as Sena, sat in front of Naruto at a square wooden table in a small closed off room. The shinobi had been cuffed to the chair to ensure that he wouldn't try and escape.

Not that the blonde had any such intention. After all, he was completely innocent. Why try and escape when all he had to do was tell the truth?

"Very well then, Naruto-San. Let us begin."

Sena said and placed a bell onto the center of the table.

"Do you know what this is? It's a magical item that sees through lies. It will ring if you do not tell the truth."

"Oh, if that's all it does then I should be fine! I don't have anything to hide!"

Naruto claimed with a cheeky grin. This questioning was going to be a piece of cake!

"You seem quite confident, but very well. Let's start with where you are from."

"Okay! I'm from the hidden village Konohagakure, and I was a high-ranking ninja who-"

Ding!

"…"

Naruto fell silent when the bell suddenly rang while he was telling nothing but the truth.

Did he word it wrong? Was he also supposed to say that he was from another world? But Kazuma told him to keep that part a secret…

' **Were you really a high-ranking ninja?'**

'Geh…!'

Naruto flinched when the fox's sly voice echoed in his mind. That's right… He was still technically a genin.

"…I was a low-ranking ninja who aspired to become its leader."

When the shinobi corrected himself rather meekly, Sena glanced at the magical item and found that it was silent.

"Hidden village? I've never heard of such a place. Where is it? Is it like the Crimson Demon Village?"

"The village is really far from here… But it's nothing like that village of weirdos-"

Ding!

"…"

Naruto fell silent again when the bell rang, only this time he realized why.

Of course, because there were all kinds of weirdos in Konoha too. Ero-Sennin, Bushy-Brows, Super Bushy-Brows, Kakashi-Sensei, Granny Tsunade, Hinata, Shino… and the list could go on. They even had a school that trained children to become Arch Wizards at a young age, much like Konoha's Ninja Academy.

"…Yes, it's similar to the Crimson Demon-"

Ding!

"…It's just like the Crimson Demon Village."

Naruto corrected himself a second time, now feeling a wave of depression washing over him. His village was just like the Crimson Demon Village… A place that was full of powerful weirdos…

Sena nodded when the bell did ring and wrote the information in her notes. To think there was another village out there that was like the Crimson Demons.

"I'm also the pupil of Jiraiya, who also comes from-"

"Pui!"

Naruto was cut off when Sena sudden spat on the ground in the middle of his sentence.

"A-ah, sorry. It's a law of the Crimson Demons to spit upon hearing that name. As a woman of the law, I take great pleasure in following it."

Sena stuttered as she straightened her glasses with of hint of awkwardness.

'But… We're not in the Crimson Demon Village.'

Naruto thought and wanted to retort, but he held his tongue and instead asked:

"Are you not a fan of Ero-Sennin? I have a feeling that I know why you wouldn't be, but…"

"I am not. Unfortunately, that man has many connections in high places and is virtually untouchable."

"I-I see…"

Jiraiya definitely peeped on this woman in the past.

"What is a ninja?"

Sena asked to get back on topic, and Naruto perked up as he would finally be able to define his profession without worrying about the other party disbelieving him.

Seriously, every time he tried explaining what a ninja was to his party, they would either flat out say they didn't believe him or say he was just a Thief. Even Yunyun, despite the mage saying that she would believe him no matter what, had a troubled face when he was explaining the way of the ninja!

"I'm glad you asked! We, ninja, are warriors of the shadows who confuse our enemies with tricks and strike when they are most vulnerable! We specialize in cloak and dagger operations like thievery, assassinations, and-"

"Isn't that just the Thief class?"

"!"

Naruto almost fell out of his chair when the policewoman responded just as his party members had. He was about to jump up and deny it but realized the parallels between the two "professions." If he contested it, the bell would only ring and make him look like a bigger fool than he already was.

"We also use ninjutsu when times get tough, which is special magic that only Ninja can learn! So… I guess that you could perhaps call it a special thief…?"

"I see. So the Ninja class is a higher tier of the Thief class with superior magical skills, much like an Arch Wizard is to the Mage class."

Sena reevaluated the information she had just received from the blonde.

If this hidden village groomed its people like the Crimson Demons, who were well known for being prestigious Arch Wizards, then it might explain why this man and Jiraiya were so powerful.

Jiraiya, despite his infamy of being a peeping tom that wrote distasteful novels, was also a well-known adventurer who was even acknowledged by the king as a hero candidate. His sudden appearance was a mystery, as the man never mentioned anything about neither his profession nor his past unless he was bragging about his star pupil.

To think that Naruto was that pupil. Did that mean that the boy was also a pervert?

"Many rumors are going around town. They say that you are a delinquent who juggles women, steals underwear, and plays pranks on a holy Arch Priest. Are these rumors true?"

"All lies! I don't know who told you about those rumors, but I-"

Ding!

"Oh, come on!"

Naruto slammed his head on the table in frustration when the bell rang.

"Fine! I admit I can act a little like a delinquent sometimes, and I prank Aqua, almost daily… But I'm an adventurer who lives on the edge! Also, she deserves to be pranked! Do you know how many times she's made me treat her to expensive wine by taking advantage of me!?"

"It's true that you don't seem as bad as another delinquent adventurer who frequents this police department… But aren't you admitting that this Arch Priest is taking advantage of you? Do you like being taken advantage of by that person?"

"Of course I don't-"

Ding!

Sena raised an eyebrow when the bell rang, and Naruto averted his gaze to hide his reddened face.

Coughing into her hand, Sena decided it was now time for the serious questions.

"So, is that 'nine-tailed fox' really your friend?"

The policewoman asked with a glint in her eyes, for this question would define whether or not the man in front of her was a threat to humanity.

"Of course Kurama is my friend! Otherwise, he wouldn't have helped me defeat the Destroyer-"

Ding!

. . .

'Kurama!?'

' **Cheh! I don't recall ever calling you my 'friend.' I have simply acknowledged you as the only human that doesn't completely disgust me.'**

'But… But… Then how am I supposed to convince them that I'm not a threat to humanity?'

'… **Heh! Just let me have control for a moment. I'll get this woman off your back. In exchange for giving me control, I promise not to damage your precious image.'**

Kurama offered, and Naruto could feel the cunning fox's grin from inside the seal.

Naruto wasn't sure if this was a good idea or not, but he was left with little choice. This questioning was beginning wear on his mind, so maybe it would be better to just let Kurama handle the rest.

With that thought in mind, he gave control over to fox.

" **Hello."**

"!"

Sena gasped when the blonde's eyes suddenly flashed a crimson red, and a deep voice that clearly wasn't his spoke out.

" **No need to be on guard. I promised the brat I wouldn't do anything… Unsettling. Now, sit."**

Kurama ordered, to which the officer immediately complied.

" **Good. I would like to clear up any misunderstandings that you and your fellow officers may have. So, ask away."**

Taking that as her queue, Sena nervously spoke.

"A-are you a demon? What is your goal? D-do you plan to destroy this town?"

" **As much as I love to consider myself one, I am not a demon. To simply put it in a way that your human mind can comprehend, my existence is that of a mass of natural energy. There is nothing demonic about my existence other than the corrosive effect that my energy has on normal human due to its sheer potency. The only thing that I would have in common with demons is my hatred for a certain self-proclaimed goddess."**

When the fox finished its explanation, Sena's eyes shot to the lie detector. To her surprise, and partial relief, it didn't make a sound.

Seeing the woman's expression relax a bit, Kurama grunted in amusement. But this would not do, it wasn't nearly enough to satisfy the bored fox.

" **My 'friend' does not work for this 'Demon King.' The brat wishes for nothing more than to help his fellow humans."**

The tailed beast clarified before raising his cuffed hands to his chin, and a loud clinging noise could be heard as the metal snapped like a twig.

Sena flinched upon seeing this but made no sudden movements. She was beginning to hope that Naruto would come back, and soon.

" **Though, if it were up to me, I would have much preferred picking a fight with both the Demon King and humans alike. Taking on the world sounds much more fun than playing adventurer in this town of weaklings."**

Kurama continued before he looked the now quivering woman in the eye.

" **Consider yourself lucky that the boy is on your side. Now, good day to you, 'officer.' "**

* * *

The Next Day…

"Now then, the trial against the adventurer Uzumaki Naruto will now begin!"

An old man wearing a powdered wig declared before slamming a small wooden hammer onto his desk.

Naruto stood in front of a crowd that consisted of both townspeople and adventurers alike, with a placid look adorning his face.

'…I thought you said that you would get her off our backs, not make it worse, you stupid fox!'

Naruto barked into his mind, earning a growl from his tailed beast companion.

' **I did, you ungrateful maggot! After I was done, that human girl was begging you for forgiveness!'**

Kurama barked back, and Naruto groaned into his wooden cuffs.

The fox wasn't lying. After Naruto had regained control of his body, Sena seemed to really appreciate his company from that moment on. She had continuously offered her apologies and had even brought him some tea.

So then, why was it that he was still being held on trial!?

…Wait a moment. He wasn't alone on the stand.

"Hey, Kazuma? Why are we here? You were acting funny last night, so do you know something about all this?"

Naruto asked the boy that was standing next to him with an innocent smile.

"…No."

Ding!

At the center of the area where the trial was being held was a small wooden table, and on it, an innocent little lie detector.

"What did you do!?"

"…I'm sorry…. She was asking me a bunch of strange questions, so I let my guard down, and when she asked if we had any close ties to the Demon King Army…"

Kazuma mumbled while averting his gaze. He didn't so much as look in ninja's general direction for some reason.

Naruto was curious about the weird questions that Sena had asked the boy, and why Kazuma was acting so strangely. But what did Kazuma mean he couldn't tell the truth? They didn't have any close ties to the-

It was then that Naruto suddenly remembered that Wiz was technically a Demon King General.

'Great, now what are we going to do? It's not like we can tell them the truth about Wiz…'

Naruto thought with a sigh. Abandoning one of his closest friends of this world was entirely out of the question.

Even if she was a general of the demon king's army, it was only in title. In exchange for maintaining the barrier around the Demon King's castle, the Demon King promised that no innocent humans would be harmed.

But would the law enforcement really believe that?

While Naruto hurt his head with an internal struggle, a familiar trio walked over to his side.

"Hey, Boss! Things aren't going all too well for you right now, huh? I kinda feel sorry for you."

Dust said in a carefree manner while patting the shinobi on the back.

"I take my eyes off you for a day, and you go and get yourself arrested. If I was with you, we could have easily escaped!"

Cecily said while shaking her head like a mother talking sense to her child.

"D-d-don't worry, Naruto-San! I-I'll definitely make sure to defend you against the prosecutor! I read a couple books on trials when I heard you were being prosecuted!"

Yunyun stammered with a fierce look in her eyes as she showed off the book in her hands.

Leaving Yunyun aside, why did Naruto have a sudden urge to slap his party members?

It seemed that Kazuma wasn't having it any better, either, as his party had shown up and come to his side as well.

When Aqua noticed that Naruto was looking in her direction, she puffed her cheeks and looked away.

Looks like she was mad about his prank the other night.

"Hey, who're those guys?"

Naruto asked when he noticed a husky man with blonde hair and blue eyes sitting in a desk near the judge, as well as another man who was wearing a helmet.

"That is the lord of this land, Alderp. Although… I'm not sure why he is present in this trial. It has nothing to do with him. The other one, I don't recognize due to his helmet."

Darkness answered with a concerned expression. The presence of a noble like Alderp during a trial was troubling.

"To begin this trial, Sena-Kun, if you could share the evidence that you gathered during your questioning?"

The judge asked, and the policewoman nodded before walking towards the crowd.

"People of Axel! I have gathered evidence that proves that these two men, Uzumaki Naruto, and Satou Kazuma, have ties to the Demon King's Army!"

Sena declared with her arms spread out to emphasize her revelation.

The people in the crowd gasped upon hearing this, and a series of whispers could be heard.

"These two men may have played a great part in the defeat of a Demon King Army General and the Mobile Fortress Destroyer, but I am confident in my findings to say that they have been fooling us all!"

Sena continued before walking in front of Naruto and Kazuma to face them.

"Uzumaki Naruto has claimed to have a monstrous nine-tailed fox sealed inside of him to you before, and I have reason to believe this demon is secretly working with the Demon King!"

"Wha-That's stupid!"

Naruto shouted, but the woman ignored his outburst and pointed to the other boy. Also, why was she calling Kurama a demon again? Wasn't that settled when Kurama took over his body?

"Satou Kazuma may have played a big role in the defeat of the Dullahan, but I believe that he was confronted by this nine-tailed fox without Naruto's knowing and are in cahoots!"

"Cahoots!?"

Naruto spouted with a bewildered expression, but again, the woman ignored him and walked back to the crowd.

"As I was questioning Uzumaki Naruto, I confronted the demon fox. I was able to conclude that it can take over Naruto's body without his awareness!"

"This is ridiculous! Kurama's never-"

' **Actually, I've been taking over your body while you've been asleep for a while now.'**

Kurama admitted, but there wasn't a sliver of guilt in the fox's voice which ticked Naruto off to no ends.

'What the hell, Kurama!? What were you even doing!?'

' **I was trying to wipe that poor excuse of a goddess out of existence! But that witch places a barrier around their mansion every night, and I couldn't break through it without waking you up! I would have been able to do it when you were sleeping at their mansion the other night, but you had forgotten to loosen the damn seal!'**

Kurama roared in frustration as he talked about his multiple attempts at murder.

Naruto really wanted to give the fox a piece of his mind, but he still felt bad about the seal business. Not that he had the time to do it, anyway, as Sena was continuing her speech.

"Devils are well known for their tricks and illusions, and Satou Kazuma admitted to seeing a female version of Naruto in his dreams! So, I believe the demon fox seduced Satou Kazuma into signing a contract!"

Sena declared while striking a weird pose to point at Kazuma, and all eyes fell on the man in question. Particularly the males who knew precisely what that meant.

"…Oi."

Naruto turned over to Kazuma, who was trying to make himself as small as possible.

Did this guy seriously use the Succubus service… to… with his sexy jutsu form…

"I know this may be a shock to you all, but-Ah! Guards! Restrain the prosecuted!"

Sena shouted when Naruto suddenly broke out of his cuffs and started strangling Kazuma.

* * *

 **A/N: Poor… Poor Naruto…**

 **Anywho, chapters 1-10 have been revised. Thanks again zubhanwc3~**

 **See you in the next one!**


	50. April Fools!

Fuahaha! Readers who are late for the party, thou thought this was the 50th chapter of this silly fanfic, but it was just a message from Moi, Vanir!

Mmm… Thy negative emotions are sweeter than the last time. Thank you for this delicious meal!

Ah, but don't leave just yet. This is just an April Fools joke made by the author who has too much time on their hands. The real chapter is located in a place called "The Lost Scrolls Chapter 8", or so the author has instructed Moi to say.

Moi all seeing eyes show me the brat who steals underwear with perverted skills interacting with Fairies...

Well then, this concludes Moi business. So long for now! Fuahahaha!


	51. Easy Trial

**A/N: To those who haven't already read it, I made a crossover for A Shinobi's Take on this Wonderful World and my other story The Fox Scroll and posted it in The Lost Scrolls chapter 8 as an April Fools. Go check it out if you missed it. ^^**

* * *

With Naruto now off to the side muzzled and in chains, Kazuma stood alone on the stand in the middle of the court.

After the reveal about the boy's dreams, just about everyone was sending him some scornful looks.

Kazuma tried to ignore their piercing gazes by making himself seem as small as possible, but he could still hear their scorn-filled voices.

"Wow… To think that Kazutrash would actually…"

"I thought those two seemed to be getting along lately, but this…"

"Scumzuma…"

The boy trembled as he heard such awful things from the crowd. He wanted to lash out at all the ungrateful people, and he could have sworn that he heard his party members' voices amongst those whispers.

But Kazuma bit his lip to hold his tongue.

Soon, this would all be over, and he would be able to go home and forget about these shitty sheep who only judged people at face value without getting the full context of the situation.

"With Uzumaki Naruto out of the way, I shall now continue to share my findings."

Sena said before gesturing towards Naruto.

"I have more proof that solidifies my belief that Uzumaki Naruto has been overtaken by this demon. As you may or may not know, powerful devils actually don't have a gender. So, Satou Kazuma, answer me this… Is Uzumaki Naruto without a doubt a male?"

She asked while swapping her stance to point at Kazuma.

Naruto sighed as Kazuma gave the obvious answer. The shinobi was still upset about Kazuma using his sexy jutsu form for Succubus dream-service, but at least this question would help them get back on track.

After all, Kazuma should know that he was a man after the incident in the mansion's bath-

Ding!

Naruto's bloodshot eyes locked onto Kazuma, who was doing his best to avert his gaze.

"Mmf!?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know if you're a boy or a girl after that night in the bath!? Your backstory and transformation were flawless, so of course I'm going to be confused!"

Kazuma barked, admitting that he really was unsure whether Naruto was actually a boy or a girl at this point.

This guy…!

Naruto wanted nothing more than to choke the life out of his "friend" right now, but there were more pressing matters to concern himself with. Because of all this nonsense, he was beginning to lose face to the crowd.

"They were in the bath together? Gross…"

"Wait, Naruto transformed into a girl? Does that mean that he might actually be a devil in disguise?"

"I'm not even surprised anymore…"

That's right, Sena's "revelations" were starting to turn the adventurers against him. But something was wrong… Not just the people, but Sena was also acting a little weird. He noticed this earlier, but something strange was going on in this court.

Sena, a minor blush on her cheeks, coughed into her hand to regain her composure.

"Guards, remove the muzzle. Uzumaki Naruto, this transformation ability. Is this something those who come from the 'Hidden Village' are able to perform?"

"Most of us, yes."

Naruto answered while stretching out his sore jaw.

"I see… Is this the first time that you have turned yourself into a woman?"

"N-no… It isn't."

He didn't even bother trying to fib his way out of it, since he lie detector would have caught him red-handed anyway. The moment the words left his mouth, the crowd started whispering again. Great now there was going to be even more rumors being spread about him.

"I-I see… Guards, put the muzzle back on. I will now call in my first wit-"

"Ah! This vile presence… A devil is here!"

Aqua suddenly shouted and started searching around the court, and the crowd's whisper grew louder.

'What is that idiot doing!? Is she trying to get me killed!?'

Naruto thought with a tick-mark as he watched the goddess scan the premise, but this only confirmed his suspicions. There was definitely something fishy going on.

* * *

 **First Witness…**

"Dust, the Delinquent Adventurer! Is it true that you refer to Uzumaki Naruto as your 'Boss'?"

Sena asked Dust, who was now at the stand at the center of the court.

'Don't say anything stupid… Don't say anything stupid… Don't say anything stupid…'

Naruto mentally pleaded for his first party member to not make things worse for him, and he almost had hope when his fellow blonde gave him a thumbs up.

But-

"Of course! I decided to follow the Boss the moment I witness his womanizing ways! Boy, does Boss Naruto know how to make a woman head over heels for him! He doesn't even have to try most of the time! Just to put it into perspective, he's got the unfortunate shopkeeper, the shy mage, the crazy priestess from Alcanretia, that thief girl, the receptionist Onee-Chan from the guild, and the three troublesome girls from Kazuma's party. You know, the Axis cultist who thinks she's that goddess with a weird verbal tick, the weird Crusader, and the little miss with a screw loose-Ouch!"

Dust was interrupted when Aqua and Megumin suddenly pounced on him.

"Take it back you delinquent trash! I am NOT in love with that perverted stalker, and I do NOT say weird things like 'mizuru'!"

"Who has a screw loose!? Let me at him!"

—As the security team restrained the two girls, Naruto looked at the lying detector hopefully. Dust was obviously spouting lies, so this would clear his suspicion of being a womanizer at least, right?

But unfortunately, the bell did not ring.

Damn that lie detector!

* * *

 **Second Witness…**

With Aqua and Megumin now tied up in ropes next to Naruto, Sena dismissed Dust from the stand before she called onto her next witness.

"Cecily of the Axis Cult! Is it true that you are in debt of four-million Eris? Can you tell me why? Does it have something to do with your place in Uzumaki Naruto's party?"

The policewoman asked before eying shinobi sharply when he started sweating bullets.

'Please don't make this worse… I promise I'll pay off your debt, so please don't make this worse…!'

Naruto thought while staring at the blonde cultist with pleading eyes when he felt a nudge at his side.

"Don't worry, my precious children are great at finding loopholes in the system!"

Aqua whispered with a confident smirk.

Where did she get all of that confidence from? She just admitted that her 'precious children' were criminals, didn't she?

But it was true that the Axis Cultists were good at avoiding the police. Heck, Naruto was only able to find Cecily in town because he was beginning to understand her thought process.

But-

"It's all true, your honor. I was a foolish child who fell for a bad boy… I would have done anything to make him mine! Even go as far as to sell my own voluptuous body to pay back the debt I collected in the process. But to think he would have done all of those horrible things…!"

Cecily admitted before she started sobbing into her hands.

Naruto's jaw dropped when the bell didn't ring, and he turned to Aqua to find the girl glaring at him.

"How dare you make one of my precious children cry! Hmph!"

Aqua huffed before looking away with a pout.

T-this girl…!

Naruto promised to make these Axis Cultists suffer his wrath when this was all over.

Seemingly satisfied with the outcome, Sena dismissed Cecily from the stand.

"Thank you very much!"

* * *

 **Third Witness…**

"I wanted to bring the hero candidate Mitsurugi to the stand, but he currently unconscious due to his clearly one-sided fight with Uzumaki Naruto. So my final witness shall be Chris, the Thief! Is it true these two men are called the Panty and Bra Thief Brothers? My sources tell me you were their first victim."

Sena asked the white-haired girl who was now the center of attention.

"W-well, it's true that Kazuma-San stole my panties with the skill I taught had just him and threatened to make them his family heirloom if I didn't give him all my money…"

Chris started while scratching the scar on her cheek awkwardly before adding.

"But Naruto-San gave back the magic dagger he stole out of-"

"I see! So Naruto, who had stolen your expensive dagger after his partner humiliated you in public, decided to take pity on his victim so he could gain leverage on you for his future plans of making you do something any young girl would dread!"

Sena interrupted, causing the thief to stutter.

"W-wait, what?"

"Oh, is it not true that Uzumaki Naruto forced you to become his girlfriend, using the dagger as ransom, and tried to make you kiss him in front of the entire guild?"

Sena asked with sharp eyes.

"Ah, w-well, t-that's partially true but he didn't… I-I-I'm sorry Naruto-San! I-I just can't!"

Chris stammered as she tried to come up with a way to help the blonde's situation, but the memory of that moment in the guild was too much for her to bare.

"Thank you very much!"

Sena said and spun on her heel as she marched back to her table, a teary-eyed Chris running off in the background.

Naruto sweatdropped as he watched Chris's fleeing form. He still needed to apologize for that day…

* * *

'Hmm… It seems the brat has gotten himself into quite a pickle…'

Jiraiya thought as he watched the trial from the back of the crowd.

The day they defeated the Destroyer, he had just returned to the adventurer's guild after visiting that shop when he found that the boy was gone. Jiraiya figured the boy went off on another quest, so he drank the night away before heading back to his inn to prepare for his dreaming session with his sobering ninja tactics.

It wasn't until the next day, when the old sage asked one of the guild staff, that he learned about Naruto's arrest for questioning.

Again, Jiraiya simply dismissed it all, thinking the brat would be okay since he had just saved the town.

But the day after that, when the news of Naruto's prosecution reached his ears, Jiraiya grew worried when he learned that Alderp was involved with the trial.

The noble was a part of the 'network' that he had established in this world, but Alderp, in particular, had something off about him. Everything seemed to always go in the man's favor.

'I'll jump in if Naruto really needs my help, but I might be able to find something out about Alderp. Plus, it'll be a good lesson for the brat.'

Jiraiya thought with a short nod and continued to watch Alderp from afar.

* * *

Naruto was now a nervous wreck as he watched Sena speaking with Alderp and the man wearing a helmet.

What were they talking about, and why did it feel like the helmet guy was glaring at him?

Was he going to be okay?

If it came to it, Naruto could always just escape-No, escaping wasn't an option. That would only make him look like a villain, which he wasn't!

'Then how am I going to get out of this… Kazuma's completely out of it, Aqua's mad at me again, Wiz can't say anything else risk exposing herself, my party has done more harm than good, and Yunyun's not going to be able to speak in front of a crowd like this...'

Naruto thought as he pondered on his options.

'Any ideas, Kurama?'

' **Nah, watching you struggle for once, in this world, is actually quite amusing.'**

This damn fox…!

But if Kurama wasn't going to help him, then he was on his own.

"There's been a change of plans. We have one final witness that we would like to come to the stand."

Sena suddenly announced before nodding to the security team.

* * *

Naruto blinked when he found himself at the stand, still chained but free of the muzzle so he could speak.

Why was he at the stand?

As if to answer the blonde's confusion, the man wearing a helmet walked in front of him and pointed accusingly.

"Uzumaki Naruto, I have called to the stand to ask you a few questions…"

The man said, and even with the helmet on, Naruto could tell that he was glaring daggers at him.

Who was this guy? Did he do something to make him angry? Naruto pulled a couple of pranks here and there on some of the adventurers, but the only grand ones were on Aqua and Megumin.

"What is your relation to Dust-San!? What sort of sick game are you playing, taking him away from his real party and putting him in dangerous situations! Dust-San may be a little misguided… But you're corrupting him with your presence! Die, devil!"

"!"

Naruto was taken aback when the man suddenly started shouting at him and pulled a dagger from his waist.

"Let go of me! I must defend Dust-San's honor! Uzumaki Naruto! Have you ever kissed a man!?"

The helmet man screamed as he was dragged away from the court.

"Of course I haven't-S-shoot!"

Naruto instantly retorted and slapped his hands to his mouth when he realized the mistake that he had made.

But it was too late.

Ding!

The ring of the bell echoed across the field, which should have been impossible, considering that there were no walls since the court was being held outside.

Naruto's face became as red as his mother's hair, the memory of the incident with Sasuke back in his youth was in the forefront of his mind. Now everyone knew… his life was over…

"E-excuse my friend, judge. He gets rather carried away with all things justice."

Alderp explained with an awkward chuckle in an attempt to gloss over what had just happened. But it was all a lie, the fool was clearly obsessed with the delinquent adventurer. The only reason that Alderp saved that fool's reputation and even helped with this trial was for the favor that his fellow noble would owe him.

In the world of nobles, a single favor could make all the difference in a power struggle.

"V-very well… Shall we move on to the final verdict?"

The judge stuttered from all the unexpected events in this trial and was about to continue when Naruto remember he was free to defend himself again now that the muzzle was off.

"W-wait! Before you make your decision, let me make some things clear!"

Naruto interjected before turning to face the crowd.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I am not a demon! I'm a human, just like you! I may have a demon sealed inside of me, but I assure you, I will make sure he doesn't harm anyone! Because my goal is to become a hero of this world! To rid this world of the threat of the Demon King! But, in order to do that, I know that I have to prove myself! My fight with Mitsurugi and the Destroyer! It was all to prove that I'm on humanity's side!"

Naruto shouted with all his heart, and the adventurers stared at him with guilty expressions.

"That's why I beg you! I'm not guilty! I'm innocent!"

The shinobi finally said and bowed to the judge. He hated lowering himself to such a pitiful state, especially when he shouldn't even be in this situation in the first place. But he had to play by the rules, specifically this world's rules, if only to change it one day.

Sena desperately looked at the lying detector, but to her surprise, it remained silent. Could it be… her judgment was wrong?

All was silent as Naruto continued to bow, his forehead pressed against the wooden stand.

Not once in their time knowing the blonde had the adventurers ever seen such a display from the rowdy boy… It sparked a fire in their hearts, as fellow adventurers.

"What were we doing? Why are we doubting the man that saved our hides just the other day?"

"Yeah, I knew something was fishy from the start! Naruto's way too popular with the lady's to have kissed another man!"

"Naruto! Naruto! Naruto!"

The adventurers began to cheer for the shinobi, who was beet-red again after that last comment, and the judge slammed his mallet on the desk multiple times for order.

"Naruto-San…"

Yunyun mumbled while looking down at the floor in shame. She couldn't do anything for her friend this time due to her weakness, but next time for sure…!

"Naruto… Once again, your talent for dramatic speeches has inspired me! I won't lose to you!"

Megumin shouted while shaking her own chains loudly.

"Hmph! Just hurry up and get this over with, Naruto! The sooner this trial is over, the sooner you can fulfill your promise of making me happy!"

Aqua shouted with her arms crossed under her bust haughtily.

"I always knew you were a good person, Naruto. But I'll be the one to bring out that dark side of yours…"

Darkness said while mumbling the last part with a blush on her face.

Kazuma rolled his eyes after hearing his party members. It was a little annoying hearing another one of Naruto's shounen speeches again, but at least everything was over, and they could get back to their everyday lives.

Jiraiya closed his eyes and smiled. It seemed that there was no need to worry about the kid after all.

The judge, after getting the crowd to calm down, heaved a heavy sigh. After seeing that, the judgment was clear as day.

"With the way things turned out, I believe the defendants Uzumaki Naruto and Satou Kazuma are found-"

"Now now, judge. You're not trying to embarrass me, are you?"

Alderp suddenly interrupted while grinning at the now shaking judge. He didn't really care about all of this, but the death of two lowly adventurers for a favor from a fellow noble was no skin off his nose.

'Wha-That's cheating! Damn these medieval times!'

Kazuma cursed the corrupt noble. No wonder Darkness was being wary of this bastard! But what was Naruto doing!? Why was he still bowing like an idiot!? If he didn't do something now, they were dead!

Jiraiya frowned as the judge turned pale and began to change his statement. He knew there was something wrong with this trial. There was an outside force manipulating Sena and the judge's decision.

' **Naruto…'**

"Yeah, I can feel it now.'

Naruto thought and glared up at the smirking Alderp.

Coming from the man, was the feeling of a devil.

"Ah! There it is again! Show yourself, devil! You can't hide your stench from my god nose!"

Aqua spouted out as she struggled against her ropes.

Upon hearing the Arch Priest, Alderp looked troubled for a moment. But that moment was all Naruto and Jiraiya needed to confirm their suspicions.

Alderp was somehow manipulating the trial.

' **Shall we expose that piece of meat?'**

'No, it's too late now. Sena put the lying detector away. We can expose him later, but for now, let's just worry about getting out of this mess.'

Naruto thought as he watched the troubled policewoman carry the box that contained the magic item away. He felt sorry for the girl. She was just trying to seriously do her job, which was rare for this town of weirdos.

Alderp would get what was coming to him. One way or another.

"W-well then, the final verdict shall… Be…"

The judge stuttered as if he was struggling against himself.

Jiraiya was about to step forward and make himself known when Darkness beat him to the punch.

"Excuse me, Alderp-Dono. Would you do me the favor of sparing these two adventurers?"

Darkness asked with a proper tone, and a pendant dangled from her outstretched hand.

* * *

 **A/N: I think we all know what happens after that… Darkness saves the day before Jiraiya! I know this is kinda what happens in canon, but it's a Naruto version of the canon events~**

 **From this point on, it's going to be much more original… Mostly! I promise!**

 **Thank you zubhanwc3 for editing this chapter~!**

 **See you all in the next one!**


	52. A Surprising Find in this Alleyway

Naruto sat inside of Wiz's shop with his chin rested on one hand while the other impatiently tapped on the table.

It's been a little more than a day since the trial's surprising end.

Darkness had revealed that she was of the noble Dustiness family to everyone, and because of her family's influence, she managed to keep Naruto and Kazuma from being executed.

But what was bothering Naruto right now was the fact that Darkness now owed Alderp a favor.

Naruto didn't like that Alderp guy, what with the transparent bit of foul play that he was causing in the trial. Additionally, the man was also staring at Darkness with a lecherous gaze ever since the trial had ended, which only made the shinobi more nervous.

It didn't help that he had visited Kazuma's mansion in the morning, only to find that Darkness had already returned home.

"I'm glad that the trial turned out well. I was scared that they were going to do something bad to you, Naruto-San."

Wiz chimed with a rather stiff smile as she pulled Naruto out of his thoughts. Her eyes were glued on the blonde, or more specifically the two girls that were currently attached to his torso.

"B-by the way… Do your Succubus friends have to be so close to you? They're not trying to drain your life force, are they? Because your lifeforce is rather addicting…"

She asked with a hint of jealousy in her features. The boy's lifeforce was pure and potent, which made it very addictive. The only reason that Wiz was able to control her urge to drain his energy was because of the equally addicting ramen that Naruto made.

"Ah, no… The truth is, I'm in a contract with these two. Close contact with the contracted is apparently necessary, and if they're not close to me for an extended period of time, something bad will happen to them because it would be a violation of the contract or something."

Naruto responded awkwardly while looking at both Maria and Morrigan, who were nuzzling themselves into his chest. Something that was kind of embarrassing, since he was wearing casual clothing right now, so he could feel their warmth through his thin white shirt.

He felt it would be okay to share this information with Wiz since she technically was undead and would likely understand his situation.

Good thing the shop was currently closed, as it would be quite awkward if someone were to walk in on this. It was strange, however, that Yunyun wasn't here. After he had introduced the two, the mage would usually come here in the morning to chat with Wiz, but that didn't seem to be the case today.

"Yes, we must have frequent moments of skinship with our master or we will wither away."

"Indeed, for it is part of our contract."

Maria and Morrigan purred as they continued to snuggle into the flustered teen.

"Eh? But wouldn't simply touching Naruto-San's hand be enough for such a thing?"

Wiz asked while tilting her head innocently.

Upon hearing this, Naruto blinked and looked to the Succubi for confirmation, only to see them avert their gazes.

—Maria and Morrigan now sat in front of Naruto seiza-style.

"Care to explain yourselves?"

Naruto asked with a twitchy smile as he stood over the two girls with his arms crossed.

"W-we only wanted to make it up to Naruto-Sama since we weren't of any use during the questioning or the trial!"

"T-that's right! There was a powerful barrier around the police station for some reason, and we couldn't get close!"

As the Succubi pleaded their cases, Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose.

So that's what Aqua must have been doing all night while waiting…

"Alright alright… It's not like I'm mad or anything, but please try to keep the teasing to a minimal."

Naruto said with a heavy sigh. Truth be told, he was almost glad that Aqua and Cecily were around. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to resist the Succubus' temptations forever; even he had his limits.

As if a switch had been flipped, Morrigan stood up and made her way around behind her master, all the while gliding her fingers over his shoulders.

"Minimum, you say? Does this mean that Naruto-Sama enjoys our _skinship_?"

Morrigan cooed into Naruto's ear with a breath of hot air, sending shivers down the boy's spine.

"Y-you call this a minimum!?"

Naruto stuttered while taking a quick step back from the now giggling woman.

"Fufufu… I do apologize. But as your contracted servants, we must serve."

Morrigan chuckled at the boy's reaction before taking on a more serious expression.

"T-that's right, Naruto-Sama! Just say the word, and we'll do anything! E-even… That sort of thing…"

Maria added while bashfully looking away.

Naruto gulped. Having servants that were so eager to please him, in more ways than one, was a little overwhelming.

But this did give him an idea.

"Actually, there is something I'd like you two to do for me."

* * *

After sending the Succubi off on their mission, Naruto bid Wiz farewell and started to head back towards his room at the inn to retrieve his adventuring gear.

' **Giving the Succubi the task of looking into this Alderp person was a good move. Now we can focus on eliminating the real threat.'**

'For the last time, I'm not killing Aqua. But since they're taking care of that, I can focus on earning some money.'

Naruto responded to his partner's obsession to kill a certain goddess as he walked into the inn and up the stairs.

But it was when he got to his door that he realized that something was wrong.

'The door… It's unlocked.'

' **Get ready… I can sense something with malicious intent inside.'**

Kurama warned, and his tone was serious for a change, something that put Naruto on edge as he cracked the door open and slowly peeked inside.

He saw nothing in the entrance or the kitchen… But he could hear a strange noise coming from his bed. But he couldn't see anything from this angle so he would have to go inside.

With clenched fists, Naruto kicked the door open and jumped onto his bed.

"Don't move!"

"WAH! W-wait! I'm not mentally prepared yet!"

. . .

"Aqua? What are you doing here?"

Naruto questioned when he saw Aqua squeezing her eyes shut, then realized he had just pounced on top of her… On his bed…

"S-sorry!"

The shinobi stuttered as he scrambled off the girl, who immediately crawled under the covers upon being freed.

"But seriously… How did you even get in here?"

"…Cecily gave me a key, remember? I told you that the other night before you made me wait all night."

Aqua stuck her out of the covers and mumbled with teary eyes.

'Don't remind me of that while saying it with such a pitiful face… I might actually feel sorry for you…'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop before he patted the girl on the head.

"I'm sorry I pranked you, Aqua."

"You better be… I waited all night for you to come out and take me home, and now you suddenly show up and scare me like that…"

Aqua sniffled, but she seemed to be enjoying the ministrations.

Naruto wondered if Kazuma had ever patted the girl on the head… Nah, probably not.

"Well, I just came back to grab my stuff, but I guess that you're welcome to hang out here if you want."

Naruto said as he began gathering his adventuring gear.

"Eh? You're leaving already? But you just got here… What if I get bored?"

Aqua came out from the covers and laid on her belly before complaining.

Then go home… Is what Naruto wanted to say but held his tongue.

Dealing with Aqua was not on his to-do list right now, so he'd just let the girl stay in his room if she wanted. It's not like he had anything valuable in here, anyway, and he doubted that she'd be able to get into the sealing scrolls that he made.

Settling with a sigh, Naruto took off his shirt and turned to face Aqua who was now blushing for some reason.

"I need to make money to pay off Cecily's debt. She's one of your 'precious children', isn't she? But anyway, turn around, unless you want to change classes to pervert and watch this 'stalker ninja' change his clothes."

"R-right! If my precious children are happy, then I'm happy. You'll be doing well to keep your promise."

Aqua stuttered as she quickly turned the other way, but not without stealing small, suspicious glances at the blonde as he put on his mesh shirt.

"…Neh, is it true that you're not a girl?"

"Hah!? What are you asking all of a sudden? Of course I'm not a girl!"

Naruto shouted as he took his shorts off. He knew that people were going to bring up that nonsense from the trial, but he didn't think that Aqua would have believed it.

"B-but what about what that police lady said at the trial? About devils not having genders and transformation techniques! How am I supposed to know that you're not lying to me about not being a girl?"

Aqua raised her voice and stood up to face the blonde, who instinctively covered his boxers with the pair of black pants in his hands.

Wait, why was he acting like a maiden? This reaction would only make things worse.

"Listen Aqua… I am without a doubt a man. That police lady wasn't thinking clearly during the trial. You sensed it too, didn't you? The devil messing with the trial?"

Naruto claimed as he proceeded to wear his black pants. The sooner he got dressed, the sooner he'd be able to leave this delusional girl behind.

"But how am I supposed to know that wasn't a devilish plot to confuse me!? You devils might have used that trial to make me think you're a girl and toy with my maiden heart!"

Aqua claimed while pointing a shaky finger at the now befuddled shinobi.

"What maiden heart!? Or rather, how did you even jump to that-H-hey! What are you doing!?"

Naruto shouted when Aqua suddenly lunged onto him and started pulling his pants down with a crazed expression adorned on her blushing face.

"Prove it! Prove to me that you're a man!"

"A-Aqua, stop! This is a line that we really shouldn't cross! H-help! This girl's trying to do indecent things to me!"

* * *

It took a couple minutes, but Naruto finally managed to get Aqua to stop by threatening to tell Kazuma that she tried to undress him in his own room. Just mentioning the boy's name got her to become more obedient.

But, with his adventurer's gear now in hand, the blonde was now meandering his way down the streets of Axel towards the adventurer's guild; only his mind was now sluggish, and his eyes reflected the tragic event that had just recently transpired.

'I almost lost something precious just now…'

' **See? I told you I sensed malicious intent in the room. We should have purged that evil long ago.'**

Kurama chortled, and Naruto could almost hear the fox nodding his head all smug-like. But in reality, the fox was probably laughing at his troubled state.

Deciding to ignore the tailed beast who showed no sympathy, Naruto trekked on in silence. He was getting mixed looks around town, most likely due to the trial, but he didn't care about that either.

'Just gotta earn more money so I can pay off that debt… Hm? Is that Dust?'

Naruto thought when he noticed his first party member. The delinquent adventurer seemed to be heading into an alley.

Well, this was an interesting development. Naruto wanted to go to the guild and accept a quest, but he was curious to find out just what the guy did in his spare time. Probably nothing good.

Stealthily following the boy into the alleyway, Naruto waited until he passed the first corner before he moved in further. He then saw Dust slow his pace until he crept alongside the wall of the buildings, peering around the corner as if he were watching something. Or someone.

Naruto smirked to himself. Just what trouble could Dust be up to? If it were something shady, he'd put a stop to it and straighten his party member out. But for now, the shinobi decided to scale the wall to the rooftops so he could get a better look without being seen.

When he looked over the ledge, he saw two men huddled up at the dead end of the alleyway.

"We'll meet up at the designated spot and wait for the signal. Then we're gonna get her!"

"Such a cute face… I can't wait! But remember, only look but don't touch or the boss will get mad at us!"

Lynn… That was one of Dust's old party member, wasn't it? Were they planning on kidnapping her?

While Naruto was in his thoughts, he almost failed to notice Dust walk into the open and make himself known.

"Hey, you two! You were talking about Lynn earlier, weren't you? What's all this about, hah!?"

Dust shouted as he walked in a thug-like manner.

The two men seemed surprised by Dust's sudden appearance, but once they saw that he was alone, they stood up threateningly.

But Dust didn't seem discouraged by their attitude in the slightest. He was infamous in town for getting into a lot of fights, so maybe he was used to people looking at him like that.

"Oh, so you're not gonna say anything huh? Well then, I'll have you know I have Uzumaki Naruto with me just around the corner! That's right, the number one player of Axel who soloed the Destroyer to impress his lady friends!"

Dust claimed while gesturing towards the corner that he came from.

Naruto wanted to hop down and smack the boy upside the head for using his name for his schemes. But wait, was it Dust who was spreading those rumors about him?

The shinobi decided that he would have a serious talk with the delinquent adventurer when this was all over.

The two men looked at each other after Dust's boasting before they started laughing.

"Hah! There's no way that guy's here!"

"Yeah, he's probably picking up girls at the adventurer's guild right now."

Oi.

It took all Naruto had not to hop down and smack all three of them, but he managed to hold himself off as it looked like the two thugs were going to fight.

"Heh… So you don't believe me, huh? Well In the good name of my Boss, I'll take you both on!"

It was two on one, but one of them had a spear.

'If I could somehow get his hands on the spear… Ah, but I swore to never use a spear again-'

Dust thought, but he didn't have the luxury of time to come up with a plan as the first man charged him.

It was an all-out thrust, so an experienced adventurer like Dust managed to sidestep the attack with minor difficulty. But-

Swish!

Dust had to dive out of the way to avoid being impaled by the spear user who tried to catch him off guard.

'Dealing with both of them at the same time is going to be difficult with that spearman, so I better take care of that guy first.'

With that thought, Dust got to his feet and charged the man with the knife.

Having not expected the seemingly reckless charge, the knife user slashed with his short blade in a vertical slash.

Dust moved around the attack in a zigzag and grappled onto the man.

'And now-'

Turning them both around, Dust faced the spearman who was about to pierce him in the back and used the man with the knife as a human shield.

"!"

In a clumsy fit to stop himself from killing his ally the spear user fumbled in his footsteps, to which Dust took full advantage of by shoving the knife user to the side and punching the spear user in the face.

The thug stumbled back as he held his bleeding nose.

"Y-you shit! You're gonna pay for that!"

The spear-wielding thug roared and charged at Dust in a blind rage.

'He's gonna go for a thrust…'

Dust thought with a knowing smirk, and as he expected, the thug started thrusting the spear forward wildly. He was able to easily outmaneuver the angerfilled thrusts, which only filled his opponent with even more rage.

By this time, the knife wielder had recovered and rushed towards Dust from behind to help his ally.

Hearing the man's heavy footsteps, Dust grabbed the recently thrusted spear and pulled. This caused the spear user to stumble forward in surprise.

Thud!

The two thugs slammed into each other before falling on their backs with dazed expressions on their faces.

Before they could get up, Dust thwacked each of them on the head with the wooden end of the spear.

With the two men down for the count, Dust let out a sigh.

"Phew… It's been a while, but it looks like I still know my way around the spear."

"Is that so? Call me impressed. You did pretty well taking those guy's down all by yourself while unamred."

"Aw, well thanks-Eh!? B-B-Boss!? W-what are you doing here!?"

Dust stammered and threw the spear to the ground as Naruto hopped down to the ground from the rooftops.

"I was just passing by. But anyways, what are you going to do with these two?"

Naruto casually said while gesturing to the two unconscious thugs.

Dust sent the shinobi an anxious look. Did he see? He definitely saw… But If he wasn't going to question it, then that would be the best outcome.

"I was just following my old party's temporary member when I saw him talking with these shady fellows, so I tailed them here. Oh yeah, I better tie them up."

The delinquent adventurer explained before he grabbed a bundle of rope that was laying on the floor where the thugs had previously been standing.

Naruto hummed as watched his party member tie the two men together. Looks like things were about to get rather interesting.

* * *

 **A/N: It seems Dust is hiding something~**

 **Also, be sure to check out the Shinobi's Take/The Fox Scroll crossover chapter if you haven't already! It's in The Lost Scrolls chapter 8! ^^**

 **Thank you zubhanwc3 for editing this chapter!**

 **Oh yeah, someone who goes by the name of Zackery Silverstone made a parody of this fic called "A Shinobi's Take on this Wonderful World Parody". If you like random alternate scenarios, then I'd suggest checking it out because it's quite funny~**

 **See ya next time!**


	53. Time For the Fool to Lead this Party

After interrogating the two goons, which was quite easy as soon as they saw Naruto's face, they discovered that the temporary member that Dust's old party had hired was, in fact, a mole that was feeding out information on Lynn's whereabouts in preparation to kidnap her.

Why were they trying to kidnap her? Well…

"I can't believe these guys want to kidnap Lynn because her face makes her look like a child... This town is full of weirdos."

Naruto muttered as he and Dust walked out of the alleyway. They also received the time and place that the goons were going to meet with their boss, so all they had to do was go there and catch them in the act.

"You're one to talk, Boss. Your harem includes not one, but three lolitas. Not that I disapprove or anything, it's just that lolis aren't my thing. I prefer my woman mature with a sizable bust. Ah, except Yunyun. She's still just a brat."

Dust casually said before adding that last part bitterly.

"First off, I don't have a harem. Secondly, apologize to Yunyun next time we see her. She already doesn't like you and saying stuff like that behind her back will only make things worse."

The shinobi scolded, but the only response from the delinquent adventurer was a shrug.

"Say what you want Boss, but we both know that what I said is true. Anyways, about our plan to save Lynn and the others. They should be coming back from the job that they accepted this morning, so we should probably get to that meeting spot soon. Anyways, I was thinking that when we confront those goons, there's probably going to be a lot of them. So while you're taking care of the masses, I'll swoop in at the best part and-"

"I refuse."

Naruto suddenly interjected, causing Dust to falter in his steps.

"What!? Why not!?"

"Because you never do anything! After watching you disarm those two thugs back there, I realized that you actually have some skill. Since I got permission to do harder quests from Luna-Chan, I want to see what you're really capable of. I'll come along since Lynn might be in danger, but you'll be making all the calls and doing most of the fighting."

Naruto explained while firmly nodding his head.

Dust's face paled, but he knew better than to argue. The shinobi looked like his decision was final, and that talking back would be pointless.

But if Naruto was only going to spectate, then this really put Dust in a bind. He was more or less planning on letting Naruto do all the fighting.

'Guess I have no choice but to recruit some help… Oh!'

Dust thought before pounding his fist into his hand.

"I always see Yunyun at the adventurer's guild playing games by herself. She'll probably agree to help if I tell her that she's the only person that I can count on. Of course, I won't really mean it."

"You have a terrible personality, you know that?"

Naruto commented with a sweatdrop. If he always saw Yunyun by herself, why didn't he at least say hi to her? No, the better question was why Naruto kept this troublesome person in his party.

' **Because you wanted to change this fool. I think we both know how that's going to turn out.'**

'I changed you. Even if it was only a little bit, I think that counts for something.'

'…'

When Kurama failed to respond, Naruto victoriously smirked before noting they were nearing the adventurer's guild.

But just as the pair of blondes were about to cross the dirt street towards their destination, they were confronted by a man wearing a familiar helmet.

"Halt! In the name of all that is good, step away from that innocent man, demon! I know that you're using your vile demonic powers to make Dust-San do horrible things like peeking in the woman's bathhouse, stealing peeks under women's skirts from under the bridge, and other various acts of sexual harassment! Although, he already does things like that on a daily basis… But anyway, stay away from him, or there will be consequences!"

"…Hah?"

Was all that Naruto could say in response to the sudden accusation. Who was this guy, anyway?

'Oh yeah! This guy was part of the trial! He was spouting out a bunch of nonsense during that time too, wasn't he?'

The whiskered teen thought when he suddenly remembered who the strange man in front of him was.

"Hey, you can spout out all of those obvious lies about me if you want; no one will believe you. But who do you think you are flapping your gums to Boss-"

Dust started when Naruto suddenly pulled him to the side.

"Don't get it twisted, Dust. Even you have fans, right? This guy's probably just a big fan of yours that misunderstood something. Ask him for help, I'm sure he'll say yes. You could use all the help you could get, right?"

Naruto whispered into the guy's ear slyly. If Dust brought this weird helmet guy along, Naruto would be able to clear up any misunderstandings that the guy had about him and Dust, and they would get help in his task of saving Lynn.

It would be killing two birds with one stone.

"Boss… You really do look out for me, don't you Boss?"

Dust whimpered while crying anime tears, having clearly misunderstood Naruto's true intentions. He then turned to the helmeted man and pointed.

"I need you!"

"!?"

"I don't know what your gripe with my Boss is, but can you put that aside for now and help me out? One of my old party members is being targeted by some weirdos who like girls with childish faces."

After Dust's sudden outburst, the helmet guy seemed rather startled for a moment, but then calmed down after hearing the delinquent's continuation.

"Ah… I thought that Dust-San was declaring something amazing just now…"

"Did you say something?"

"N-nothing! I will tend to your aid, Dust-San. My helmet is at your disposal."

The helmet guy stammered before making a fine salute.

"Is that so? Well, thanks, I guess."

Dust responded with a wry smile. This guy was a little weird, but Naruto was right. He needed all the help he could get, so now wasn't the time to be picky.

"Alright! Let's go get Yunyun, and we'll go to the meeting point that those guys told us about!"

* * *

"J-just so you know, I'm coming along because a girl might be in trouble."

Yunyun stuttered as she held onto the back of Naruto's jacket, as to avoid falling off the horse that they were currently sharing.

"Yes yes, I understand. But I didn't know that you also had a tsundere archetype, Onion… Hey! Watch where you're putting those hands!"

Dust waved the mage off before shouting at the helmet guy who was sitting behind him on their shared horse, and the man muttered a ragged apology. Seriously, what was up with this guy?

It was bad enough that Naruto made him pay for the rental horses, but he even made him share a horse with the weirdo-Ah! His hands again!

While Dust was busy shouting at the helmet guy, Yunyun's cheeks burned in anger.

"You just called me 'Onion,' didn't you? Didn't you!? At least say my name correctly!"

Yunyun accused while pointing at the boy with teary eyes. How could this man have the gall to mispronounce her name after asking for help and using the pathetic line that she was "the only person that he could count on"?

…No, she wasn't moved in the slightest when he said that… Seriously!

Also, why Onion of all things!? It wasn't even clever!

"H-hey, stop shaking so much Yunyun! I'm still not used to riding this thing!"

Naruto scolded when Yunyun started bouncing around on the horse, and the girl immediately calmed herself and obediently sat down.

"Phew… I thought we were gonna fall off for a second there. Anyways, where were you this morning, Yunyun?"

"A-ah… N-nowhere in particular… Heh heh…"

Yunyun murmured while poking her fingers together, prompting the shinobi to raise an eyebrow.

Great… Was Yunyun hiding something from him too? No, she wasn't the type of person to lie. He'd give her the benefit of the doubt. She probably overslept this morning and was too embarrassed to admit it or something.

"We're getting close to the destination, so we should probably hide the horses here and go on foot for the rest of the way."

Dust said after having made the helmet guy sit on the horse in reverse.

As soon as the horses were tied to a tree, the group set off on the side of the road in the forest on foot off with Dust leading the way.

"I am forever in your debt. I apologize for any misunderstandings that I may have had of you, Uzumaki-San."

The helmet guy walked up to Naruto's side and said in a hushed tone.

"S-sure…"

The shinobi stuttered while making sure to stay as far away from the strange man whose eyes were now glued on Dust. He was glad to have cleared any misunderstandings with this man, but Axel really was full of weirdos…

' **Aren't you glad to be one of them?'**

'That would apply to you too, Kurama…'

Naruto retorted while rolling his eyes, not that he denied being weird.

' **Keh! When you've lived as long as I have, you learn to appreciate the insane. Keeps things interesting.'**

Kurama responded with a snort.

"Hey Boss, could you scout ahead and check if any enemies are camping around? You won't be fighting, so you can at least do that right?"

Dust asked in an almost hopeful manner.

"Sure. It'll be nice to stretch my legs after sitting around and doing nothing these past couple days. I'll be back in a few."

Naruto said with a shrug before he disappeared in a swirl of leaves, and the group heard fading sounds of footsteps in the distant trees.

After seeing the shinobi off, Dust turned to the mage of his group.

"Also, Yunyun. You have the detect enemies spell, right? Use that just in case some powerful monster decides to pop up out of nowhere like usual."

"Thank you for using my name correctly this time. But sure, I guess that would be a smart thing to do. Especially with Naruto-San around."

Yunyun had to agree with Dust, knowing the exact reason as to why those strong monsters were always appearing around Naruto.

Hearing this, Dust's eyes narrowed on the little girl who was chanting her spell with suspicion. Did she know why those man-eating creatures were constantly popping up? He always thought that it was strange that rare and powerful monsters appeared so frequently during his past quests with Naruto.

But leaving that aside for now, as Dust didn't want to get in the way of Yunyun's chanting, he leaned against a tree as he waited for Naruto to return. Hopefully, there weren't that many enemies…

"…Hey, do you mind? I was here first."

Dust grunted when the helmet guy suddenly started to lean on the same tree as him, and their shoulders touched.

"Oh, I'm sorry Dust-San. It's kind of hard to see in this helmet."

The man apologized and tapped on his metal helmet to emphasize his point.

Dust sighed and moved to another tree. He'd put up with this weird guy since he needed the extra help, but as soon they got back to town he wanted nothing to do with him.

"It's fine, I'll just move-H-hey! Stop coming closer! If it's hard to see, then how are you following me so precisely!? Is your sight actually being hindered by that helmet!?"

"Forgive me! It seems this helmet is cursed, and it won't stop pulling me towards you until it tastes the sweat of two different men!"

"That's gross! That's seriously gross!"

Dust shouted as he now ran around the tree for dear life, but the helmet man was hot on his trail.

Yunyun's eyebrow twitched as she continued to concentrate on her detection spell, but it was getting rather difficult with the two boys shouting behind her.

"Ah. A monster's heading our way."

* * *

 **A Couple Minutes Later…**

"Hey guys, I'm back…"

Naruto greeted with a cheeky grin as he landed on the ground, and he was immediately greeted with a strange sight.

Yunyun was standing over the corpse of a large One-Shot Bear, her breath sounding a little ragged.

The helmet guy was standing a couple feet behind the girl, with Dust firmly attached to the man's torso.

Upon seeing the shinobi's arrival, Dust detached himself from his meat-shield-Er, comrade, and ran over to Naruto.

"Explain to me why these powerful monsters keep showing up whenever I leave town with you, Boss! Right after you left, that One-Shot Bear came out of nowhere and tried to eat me! One-Shot Bears are supposed to be a rare monster around these parts, yet I've seen twelve just this past month!"

Dust demanded while thrusting his finger at the dead monster.

"I can die happy…"

The helmet man mumbled, but his voice was drowned beneath Dust's shouting.

"You're welcome…"

Yunyun huffed as she continued to catch her breath. Because of all the noise that Dust had been making, the One-Shot Bear had gone straight for him. She had to cancel her detection spell, put up a defensive one to protect Dust and the helmet guy, AND fire her Light of Saber spell within a span of seconds just to keep everyone alive.

"S-sorry I took so long… I ran into a pack of Silver Wolves on my way back, so I decided to fight them with only my feet-"

Naruto stuttered while he held his hands up in defense, but Dust interrupted him midsentence and got up in his face.

"I almost died, and you're fighting monsters with a voluntary handicap!?"

The delinquent adventurer roared. It was actually kind of cool that Naruto was able to fight off a pack of Silver Wolves with just his feet, but that was neither here nor there. This was his life that they were talking about!

"Calm down, Dust. Yunyun clearly had everything under control, right Yunyun?"

Naruto asked, and the mage nodded her head shyly. But it was strange… A One-Shot Bear was nothing for Yunyun, so why did she seem so tired?

"Fine… We'll save this for another time. Did you at least see anyone out there?"

Dust asked while pinching the bridge of his nose. This was why he hated being the leader, especially when the party was full of weirdos. Like the girls in Kazuma's party, though nothing would ever beat how stressful those few days were with those three…

"Hm? Oh yeah, I did. I saw a group of cloaked men hugging the side of a hill just outside of the forest. They seemed to be watching the road, so it's probably them."

Naruto said while tapping his thoughtfully.

"That's definitely them! Dang it, why are we wasting time here? Lynn and the party are probably almost back! Come on, let's hurry over there!"

Dust shouted and started running in the direction the shinobi had come from, with the helmet guy right behind him.

Naruto smirked as he watched the delinquent's fleeting form. That guy must be really worried about Lynn.

Before he followed Dust and the helmet guy, Naruto looked back at Yunyun who seemed to still be slightly winded.

"Are you okay, Yunyun? You seem to be a little tired today…"

"Y-yes, I'm fine! Don't worry about me, Naruto-San. Let's go save Dust-San's old party members!"

Yunyun stuttered while failing to meet the older boy's eyes before she chased after their temporary leader.

This troubled Naruto, but he'd respect the girl's wishes. If something were troubling her, she'd tell him… Right?

* * *

"There they are, just as the boss said. But remember boys, look but don't touch."

"Yessir!" X4

The hooded goons saluted their second in command as they watched the small party of adventurers walking down the road in their direction.

Oh, it seemed that they were now stopping to take a break. They were only about a two hours walk from the town, so this must be the work of their leader!

Now they just had to wait for the signal, and they would move in for the attack!

"But those other two sure are late… I wonder if they got cold feet."

The goon acting as second in command wondered aloud.

"Hey, the two boys are falling over!"

"That's the signal!"

"Lolitas for life!"

The goons shouted as they stood up and started running down the hill as their boss waved in their direction, but their route was intercepted by a fireball.

* * *

"Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't let you guys take my old party member!"

Dust shouted with a shit-eating grin on his face, with Naruto, Yunyun, and the helmet guy standing behind him.

"Who are you!?"

"Ah! I recognize that guy!"

"Yeah, who could forget that face!"

The hooded men shouted as they took a few steps back in fear.

Dust cackled with laughter.

"Hahaha! You all fear my infamy that much? Don't worry, if you leave Lynn and your wallets behind, I'll forget everything that-"

"It's Uzumaki Naruto! The man who will prank you if you hit on his girls!"

"Damn it, is that lolita a part of his harem too!? Who was in charge of research!?"

"!"

As Dust froze in his stance, the boss of the hooded goons picked up Lynn's unconscious form and slung her over his shoulder.

Naruto sweatdropped. Were there really still people that thought of him like that? He thought the town was passed that, what with the trial and everything…

"Don't falter! Remember the plan! I'll meet you all back at headquarters, even if you get arrested, I'll wait! Remember the rules!"

"Look, but don't touch! Boss!"

The men shouted with anime tears storming down their hooded features, which was kind of gross to watch.

"Ah! I won't let you get away!"

Dust shouted and was about to take off after the man who was taking Lynn away, but the hooded men got in his way. He looked back at Naruto with an almost pleading look, and the shinobi let out a sigh.

"Go on. We'll take care of these guys."

Naruto said, and Dust nodded before he ran around the group of men.

"Hey, don't think we'll let you get to our boss-"

"Sleep."

"Ugh…" X5

With a single chant, Yunyun put all five goons to sleep. After which, Naruto tied them all up with ninja wire.

"There we go. Nice work, Yunyun. That sleep spell has gotten stronger, you should try it on me sometime. I need to be able to resist those types of spells."

"T-thank you! But I don't think my Sleep spell is strong enough to put Naruto-San to sleep yet… I still need more practice."

As Naruto and Yunyun casually spoke while standing over the unconscious and tied up men, the helmet man was shivering to himself.

'What kind of monsters is Dust-San cooperating with…?'

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you zubhanwc3 for editing this chapter~**


	54. Food of the Gods

**Adventurer's Guild…**

"Phew… I'm glad that's over with."

Dust said as he leaned forward onto the cool bar counter. After he went after the leader of the hooded men, they had an epic fight. The boy was sure that he made quite an impression on everyone who had witnessed his glorious victory.

After the battle ended, Naruto ran to town and came back with the authorities.

"I can't believe that guy was aiming for Lynn… He was such a nice guy too, unlike a certain someone. I still have a lot to learn."

"Right? I guess it goes to show that you really can't judge a book by its cover. Unless it's that guy."

Taylor and Keith, the two male members of Dust's original party, muttered while looking at the delinquent adventurer.

"Why do I get the feeling you're talking about me? Bah, that can't be. After all, I just saved their sorry asses. If it weren't for me, those creeps would have gotten Lynn and taken her to a secluded place to treat her like royalty for the rest of her life."

Dust proclaimed with his nose held high. After all, he had defeated their leader.

"When you put it that way, maybe going with those guys wouldn't have been such a bad idea. Especially when you consider the fact that you used me as a shield to gain the advantage in your fight."

Lynn commented with a neutral expression, causing the blonde adventurer to sweat profusely.

"How do you know that!? I-I thought you were asleep the whole time!"

"You just told me."

"!"

Dust winced when he stepped into the now frowning girl's trap. Lynn really knew the way his thought process worked, and it was almost kinda scary. But seeing as she wasn't going to press on, he decided to hastily change the subject.

"By the way, Boss. I gotta question for you. I really appreciate your help this time around, but there's no denying that there's something suspicious about you."

"Hm? What do you mean I'm suspicious?"

Naruto, who had been watching the group's interactions from a nearby table with Yunyun, asked with a crooked smile. How could this guy of all people claim that he was suspicious? Dust was the very definition of suspicious.

"I've been meaning to confront you about this for quite some time now, but you're the reason that all those rare and powerful monsters keep showing up, aren't you?"

Dust claimed while pointing an accusing finger at his fellow blonde, earning a few strange looks from the other three.

"W-well, you see… I have an incredibly high luck stat, ya know? Also, stronger monsters are attracted to powerful entities, right Yunyun… Ah."

Naruto stuttered and turned to the mage of his party for help, but the girl was fast asleep with her head rested on the table.

"Don't bother asking that kid for help, Boss. It's because of something she said that made me realize something was off, so, out with it! What are you doing to make those dangerous monsters appear?"

Dust further questioned, and this time Naruto hunched over in defeat.

"Alright, you got me… I bought a magic item that increases the chance of encountering rare and powerful monsters. Its effects are amplified by the user's luck."

The shinobi admitted while pulling out the necklace from under his shirt.

"Y-you… You had such a dangerous item on you this whole time!?"

Dust shouted, drawing even more attention on their group with his raised voice.

"So that's why Naruto was able to find all those Nido-Rabbits…"

"I heard he fought an Abominable Snowman with Kazuma's party sometime back too…"

"Sheesh… Don't you think that guy's a little too strong for this town?"

Naruto sweatdropped when he heard the whispering adventurers. He was already used to people talking about him like this, but at least it wasn't anything negative this time around.

But the way Dust was reacting was kinda strange. Wasn't he overreacting a little?

"Sorry I didn't say anything earlier… I just wanted a bit more of a challenge on my quests since Luna-Chan didn't let me go on the harder ones. But don't worry, I'll take it off from now on! In fact, I won't be needing it anymore since we're going on that Griffon and Manticore quest next!"

Naruto exclaimed with an ear-to-ear grin.

"I quit."

. . .

"Eh?"

Naruto's smile cracked when he thought he heard Dust say something strange.

"Sorry, I think I may have something in my ear… What did you say, Dust?"

"No, I'm the one who's sorry Boss… After what just happened today with Lynn and those hooded weirdos, I came to the realization that my old party really needs me. So, as much as it pains me to say it, I'll be taking my leave today. Thank you very much for everything that you have taught me thus far, Boss!"

Dust shouted with a formal bow unbefitting of his reputation, or rather, maybe it was befitting of his reputation. After all, he did treat Naruto like a mob boss.

"…"

Naruto was at a loss for words. In all honesty, he had thought that Dust would have followed him to the ends of the Earth for whatever reason, so he was genuinely shocked to hear that the guy wanted to quit.

'I almost want to say no, but…'

Naruto thought as he pondered back to the reason that he'd invited this troublesome fellow into his party in the first place. Dust wanted him to teach him to be a lady-killer like him, having heard the rumors.

' **Wasn't he the one who started those rumors in the first place?'**

Kurama asked, and a tick-mark formed on Naruto's forehead.

'Right, but I decided to help him change for the better. Besides, all those rumors are long forgotten now.'

' **Is that so?'**

'…'

Now that the fox mentioned it, did this guy change at all since then?

"Oh, so now you want to come back to our party. What makes you think that we'll just welcome you back with open arms?"

Lynn huffed with her hands over her chest.

"Oh, come on Lynn… Is that any way to talk to the handsome adventurer who saved your life?"

Dust asked while patting the girl on her shoulder playfully.

"…Dust."

Naruto finally said, earning his fellow blonde's attention.

"When we first met, you were troubled boy who cared nothing but his own gain. But what I see now standing in front of me, is a man who cares for his friends. I have nothing left to teach you."

It was clearly a lie, but this was the best course of action. Naruto decided that he was better off leaving the troublesome fellow with his original caretaker, Lynn. So all he could do now was give the guy a thumbs up and pray that he took the bait.

"B-Boss…! T-thank you very much!"

Dust cried out with manly tears leaking out of his eyes.

"We can still go on quests together every once in a while, too! Just make sure to leave that troublesome magic item home."

"In other words, you want Naruto to bail you out of your debt when it gets too high."

Lynn retorted while rolling her eyes.

"H-hey now… Is that how you really see me? I truly cherish everything that the Boss has taught me!"

Dust shouted defiantly, but Lynn remained unconvinced.

"Is that so? What did Naruto-San teach you then?"

"He taught me the best way to a woman's heart is her stomach-Gah!"

Dust started but was quickly taken out with a "thwack!" to the head by a long staff.

"There's no such thing!"

Lynn barked before centering her gaze at Naruto as she held her mage's staff threateningly, and the shinobi raised his hands innocently.

* * *

Naruto sighed as he walked down the streets of Axel by himself, his party now reduced to three members, including himself.

He didn't know why, but the roads seemed a little bigger than usual.

' **Aren't you forgetting someone?'**

'You know, I still haven't forgiven you for taking over my body while I was asleep… Who knows what you did?'

' **Feh! I had one plan, and one plan only. To rid this world of all its evils, and one of those evils is currently sitting in your room eating all of your snacks.'**

Kurama snarled at the mentioning of the 'Goddess of Mooching.'

Naruto sighed again, but he decided to drop it. He was kind of at fault for neglecting his tailed beast partner for so long anyway.

Well, there's no use worrying about it now. Lynn seems like she would be able to handle Dust.

'Guess I better tell Cecily and Yunyun… Ah, I forgot about Yunyun again. She's probably still asleep in the adventurer's guild anyway.'

Naruto thought with a sweatdrop. He wondered why the girl was so tired today.

* * *

Opening the door to his room, Naruto found Aqua in the exact same spot that he had left her. She was laying on his bed on her stomach, with her feet swaying in the air casually.

Upon seeing his return, Aqua's face lit up, and she sprang upright.

"Oh, you're back! What's for dinner?"

He was feeding her dinner? Or rather, why hadn't she gone home yet?

Naruto held back a groan at the thought having to cook for someone else right now, but the cheerful smile on the goddess's face made short work of those negative feelings.

'…I guess it wouldn't hurt to feed her dinner every once and a while.'

The blonde thought while scratching his whisker marks, a tiny smile growing on his lips.

"Alright! Tonight's course is an Uzumaki special! Prepare yourself, Aqua!"

"Oh! I don't know what that means, but it sounds promising!"

Aqua chimed and plopped down on a chair at the small dinner table, placing her hands on her chin as she happily watched Naruto make his way around the tiny kitchen.

A good ten minutes later, and Aqua had a steaming hot bowl of ramen in front of her.

"…W-what is this?"

"Hehe… It's the Uzumaki-Style Deluxe Ramen!"

Naruto responded in an almost bragging manner, his hand rubbing his chin gleefully. He half expected the girl to jump for joy, as he was quite proud of this bowl of ramen.

Aqua stared at the noodles and gulped as the smell of the broth and the meat entered her nose. But that wasn't all, the food's presentation was phenomenal.

The noodles were entirely covered by the toppings that placed in an orderly fashion. Sheets of seaweed, a split boiled egg, bean sprouts, chopped green onions, and a cute little fishcake on the side. But on top of it all, nine perfectly thin pork slices all lined up and ready to be picked up one-by-one.

"H-how could a bowl of junk food look and smell so good?"

"Junk food? No no no… This is the food of the gods! Besides, it has vegetables."

Naruto corrected while nodding sagely.

"F-fufu… So you've finally acknowledged that I'm a goddess? Very well then, let me, a goddess, be the judge of this so-called 'food of the gods'!"

Aqua proclaimed as she split the chopsticks Naruto had provided. Then, she carefully pinched some noodles and brought it up to her mouth…

"Slurp…! T-thish ish…!?"

The girl's eyes shot open when the flavors that were compacted into the noodles shot into her senses.

The noodles were still firm, yet they had just enough of the broth mixed in to make a perfect balance.

As Aqua was enjoying tasting the soup by itself with her spoon, her eyes fell the pork to which she picked up with her chopsticks, all before plopping the slice into her mouth.

"MmHmmm…!"

The pork pretty much melted upon impact. It was one of the most delicious meats that she had ever eaten, even comparable to the expensive lobster that Darkness's family had sent them the other day.

"Hehe… See? The food of the gods."

Naruto chortled with a foxlike grin as he watched the priestess wolf down her noodles with a glazed expression. It reminded him of the first time that he had introduced Wiz, and later Yunyun, to his favorite food.

"When I first started, I had trouble with the vegetables since they're all alive in this world. But once I leveled up my cooking skill to the max, those suckers were no problem at all-"

Slam!

The shinobi was interrupted mid-sentence when Aqua slammed her now empty bowl on the table and stood up.

With her bangs covering her eyes, it was hard to tell what she was thinking. That was… Until her shoulders started shaking.

"S-sniff! Naruto-San!"

"!?"

Naruto had to step back when Aqua stumbled out of her chair and crawled over to him on her hands and knees. She then grabbed onto his pants, all the while sobbing as she looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"Naruto-Saaaan! I'm sorry for the way I've been treating yoooouu!"

The goddess cried as she clawed at the boy's pants.

"W-huh? What?"

Naruto blundered with his words, his arms raised to the air as he tried to comprehend what was happening.

Aqua was apologizing!? Did he, by any chance, mix alcohol into the soup?

"I'm sorry for all the means things I said to you, and spreading those rumors with that delinquent, and pranking Wiz by putting a seal on the front door of the shop! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

The girl wailed as she sobbed into his now soaked pants.

'What should I do!? I have no idea why Aqua's cry-Hang on. Aqua just said something I can't ignore. A couple of things, actually.'

' **I say that we drown her in that ramen of yours… Keh! Imagine a goddess of water drowning! Now that's a** **laugh!'**

'No! I would never drown someone in such a sacred soup!'

' **So you agree that we should drown her?'**

'No!'

Closing the mental link with the fox, Naruto calmed himself by taking a deep breath. He needed to calm the girl down, or it would cause trouble for the building.

"Aqua… I've long since forgiven you for all those things-"

Mostly.

"-But hearing you apologize means a lot. Trust me."

Naruto said with a reassuring smile as he placed a hand over the girl's head. Thankfully, this managed to calm the girl down.

Aqua looked up with teary eyes and sniffled.

"R-really? You don't hate me?"

"Of course I don't hate you! I mean, treating to wine all the time was a little troublesome for my wallet… But I wouldn't have done that if I hated you!"

Naruto blurted out without thinking when the girl started sniffling again, and he was forced to look away when his face started to heat up. Sheesh… What was he saying all of a sudden?

"I-I see… So you don't hate me…"

Aqua stuttered and lowered her head. For some reason, hearing him say that made her chest tighten.

Just then-

"Naruto! Aqua-Sama! I brought… Ah."

Cecily barged into the room with a bag in her hand. But upon seeing the blonde, and his hand rested on a mop of blue hair at his waist…

"Sorry to interrupt…"

The Axis Cultist cooed as she slowly closed the door.

"W-wait! It's not what you think!"

Naruto screamed in a vain attempt to clear up any misunderstandings, his face turning all kinds of red. But all he could hear were a bunch of giggles from the other side of the door.

. . .

"Neh, can I have another bowl of 'The Food of the Gods'?"

Aqua suddenly asked with eager eyes.

It took a second, but Naruto blinked when he realized that this girl clearly didn't know how to read the mood. But maybe that was a Blessing right now.

"Sure…"

He resolutely decided to ignore the sudden increase of giggles that were emanating from the door.

* * *

 **A/N: So Dust leaves the party... Also, l** **ooks like** **Naruto maxed out his cooking skills... I guess that's why he was able to make authentic ramen so quickly~**

 **Thank you zubhanwc3 for editing this chapter~**

 **See you next time!**

* * *

 **Interlude: A Busy Day for this Shy Mage**

Just mere minutes before the sun rose, Yunyun stepped out of her inn room dressed in her adventuring gear.

'Alright! Today I will do extra to help Naruto-San with Kazuma-San's debt!"

With that thought in mind, she ran down the stairs and out the inn's front doors and into the cold, snow-filled outside. The guild should be opening soon, so she had to hurry and get a good quest!

After the events of Naruto's trial, Yunyun realized that she was still too inexperienced. So she decided to take on a solo quest while the Shinobi was at Wiz's shop in the morning. She would complete the quest and be back in time to go on a second quest with Naruto when he showed up at noon!

But her plan immediately hit a curb when she found that the adventurer's guild was still closed.

'That's weird… I could have sworn that the guild opened at this hour. I used to come here this early every day to wait before Naruto-San introduced me to Wiz-San.'

Yunyun thought as she stared at the locked door when a voice came from behind.

"Ah, is that you Yunyun-San? Sorry, I'm a couple minutes late, I'll open the doors right away!"

Luna said with an apologetic smile as she fumbled with a keychain.

"N-no! Thank you for all your hard work!"

Yunyun said with her head held low as the guild lady opened the door, and the two walked into the empty guild hall.

During the day, the place was jam-packed with rowdy adventurers. But in the morning, it was so quiet, that not a single sound could be heard.

Yunyun followed Luna to the back of the guild.

After taking off her heavy winter coat, the receptionist placed a box onto the counter with a heavy thud before smiling at the Crimson Demon.

"It's been a while since you showed up so early. Did come to help me sort documents again?"

"A-actually, I-"

Yunyun stuttered before catching herself.

Wait. If she helped Luna, who was one of the people that Naruto spoke very highly of, then wouldn't that be indirectly helping Naruto?

"Y-yes! What can I do to help?"

Two hours later, Yunyun was on her way to the towards the front gates.

'The guild lady really is an amazing person…'

Even with her high intelligence stat, those documents were quite difficult to sort.

But with a quest in hand, she had five hours to complete it and be back at the guild in time to meet with Naruto for their quest!

'Let's do this!'

—Another two hours later, and Yunyun was on her way back to the front gates.

The quest was quite simple, just locate and obtain some rare stones. With the book that Luna had given her, Yunyun was able to identify the stones in a reasonable amount of time.

"S-S-S-Satou Kazuma-San! Do something!"

"W-what do you want me to do!? There are way too many frogs, and not enough bait-I mean people! Damn that Aqua! Where did she run off to!?"

Hearing the screams of familiar people, Yunyun looked to the left of the town's front gates to find Kazuma and the policewoman who had arrested Naruto running from three giant toads. There was a fourth toad in the distance with something red inside of its mouth.

'Ah! Megumin is being eaten by a toad!'

Yunyun began to chant her signature spell, Light of Saber when a thought occurred to her.

If she saved Megumin, then that would mean she would have no right to refuse a dual!

But it was strange… She knew why Darkness wasn't here, but where was the Arch Priest that always argued with Naruto?

Oh well, that didn't matter right now. It was time to earn a win over Megumin!

* * *

"Ohh… I can't believe Megumin covered me in toad mucus…"

Yunyun moped as she dragged her slime-covered form towards the bathhouse.

After she saved Megumin and the others, she had challenged her rival to a dual. Megumin agreed, but only if it was hand to hand combat…

By the time that Yunyun had realized her mistake, it was already too late.

But everything was okay! Even though she wasn't able to get a win over Megumin, she still had time before it was noon. She would just take a bath before heading over to the adventurer's guild.

"Ah… I'm tired…"


	55. What is this Bratty Goddess Up To?

Boom!

A deafening explosion cracked at the center of a clearwater lake, throwing up countless droplets of water into the air as it created a beautiful rainbow.

"…What am I doing?"

Kazuma muttered to himself as the water fell on him like a midday shower.

Here he was, in a real fantasy world full of magic and monsters, and all he'd been doing for the past couple days was going on his "scenic walks" with Megumin so the girl could let off an Explosion.

In other words, he was completely wasting his time.

Megumin, who was laying on the now wet grass, let out a satisfied sigh.

"Do you see that rainbow, Kazuma? My Explosion magic created that… Isn't it beautif-"

"THIS IS WRONG!"

"!"

* * *

Mansion...

"Let's go to a dungeon."

"I refuse."

Kazuma and Megumin sat at one of the tables at the adventurer's guild. After making his suggestion, the girl instantly refused.

"…I want to do something fantasy-like, so we're going."

The boy said firmly, finalizing his decision as party leader.

"I don't want to! I can't use my Explosion magic in a dungeon, so I'll be just like a civilian in there! Besides, Darkness is gone, and Aqua disappears in the morning so it would just be the two of us!"

Megumin cried out with teary eyes as she held her staff close to her chest.

"You know, I firmly remember you offering to carry our bags in exchange for a spot in this party."

"!"

While Megumin held her head as she struggled to think of a comeback, Kazuma stared off into the distance in thought.

As annoyed as he was with his useless mage, Megumin did have a point. Aqua was acting rather strange as of late.

'I guess I should confront that goddess and set her straight.'

* * *

 **The Next Morning…**

It was around seven o'clock in the morning, about four hours before that HikiNEET woke up. That's why Aqua decided to wake up and leave at this time, so she could head out without having to worry about that man complaining about her leaving again.

Aqua had just walked down the stairs and was reaching for the door handle when a voice called out to her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Aqua stiffened before she turned around to find both Kazuma and Megumin sitting at the table

"I'm going out. I'll be back later tonight, so don't wait for me for dinner."

The goddess said and was about to leave again when Kazuma walked over to the door and closed it.

"Wait. I decided that we're going to explore a dungeon today, so we need you."

This was sure to reel her in. This girl was always a sucker for compliments. Any second now and she'll probably eagerly ask when they were leaving-

"Don't wanna."

Aqua interjected and removed Kazuma's hand from the door, shattering the boy's confidence to pieces.

"Aqua, we're worried about you… You're always leaving in the morning and don't come back until late at night. Just what have you been doing?"

Megumin asked and placed a hand on the bluenette's shoulder with a concerned look on her face.

"I found someone who finally treats me like the goddess I am. So, if you'll excuse me… Hey, let go Megumin."

Aqua started struggling against Megumin's grasp, but the little girl held firm.

"I refuse! How could I let you go out in the cold looking like that!? Is it a boy!? I'll set him straight for trying to seduce my party member!"

"Annoying! Why are you two pestering me so much? What I do with my spare time is none of your business! Let me go! Let me go, I say!"

'What is this… Some sort of TV drama?'

Kazuma thought with sweatdrop as he watched both Megumin and Aqua squabble like a mother and her rebellious teenage daughter.

Then, just like that, something seemed to click in Aqua's head. She relaxed, her demeanor now more refined and mature as she stared at the two with an almost pitiful expression.

"You're right… It is a boy. But I guess the two of you are too young to understand why I must go."

"!" x2

Kazuma and Megumin flinched, the priestess's words cutting deep.

Taking advantage of their surprised states, Aqua rushed out the door.

. . .

"Hey, Kazuma."

"Yes?"

"As that child's guardians, we need to properly look out for her."

"Are you really trying to act like her mother, now!?"

* * *

It took them a couple of minutes, but they eventually caught up with Aqua when she had slowed to a walk as soon as she entered the town's streets.

The mansion was only a few minutes' walk from the main part of town, yet Aqua had been running the entire time. Was she that excited to see whoever she was going to visit?

"I'm surprised… Aqua's a lot faster than I-Hey! Stop breathing so loudly, she's going to hear us!"

Megumin scolded the man who was holding his knees behind her, but Kazuma couldn't even answer as he was wheezing hard while muttering curses.

Curse his shut-in ways in the past for his lack of stamina! Curse this little girl for having a higher level than him, and finally, curse that goddess for being so damn stubborn!

"Huff… Huff… Okay, I'll use my Lurk skill so that she doesn't notice us."

Kazuma said when he finally caught his breath and placed a hand on Megumin's shoulder. The two then proceeded to follow Aqua through the streets of Axel.

"Hey, Kazuma? Don't you think that Aqua is a little too happy right now?"

Megumin whispered to her companion, who nodded his head in agreement.

"Just what is that girl up t-"

Kazuma stopped midsentence pulled Megumin to the side and into an alleyway when Aqua suddenly stopped and looked in their direction suspiciously.

"Damn that woman… Why does she only have good intuition during times like this! Use that skill during our quests-Guh!"

Kazuma held his ribs after Megumin suddenly elbowed him.

"What was that for!?"

"For manhandling a maiden out of nowhere!"

Megumin barked while dusting herself off, a tint of red in her cheeks.

Sheesh… Talk about ungrateful. If Aqua caught them, then their espionage was over. Didn't Megumin understand that?

But Aqua was definitely acting suspiciously. Just who was she so happy to visit at this hour? She was a beauty at first glance, but hardly anyone could stand being around that girl for more than a couple minutes due to her problematic personality.

"Kazuma! Kazuma! Aqua just entered that inn!"

Megumin almost shouted while pointing towards a medium sized building with a lot of windows.

'Hm? Why would Aqua enter an inn so early in the morning? She lives in a mansion, so there's no reason for her to rent out a room-'

Kazuma and Megumin looked at each other with wide eyes.

"It really is a man!" x2

* * *

Sneaking their way down the halls, Kazuma and Megumin were just about to turn a corner when they caught sight of a hint of blue. Hiding behind the corner, they peeked their heads out just in time to see Aqua unlocking the door that she had stopped at and walk in.

"She has a key to one of these rooms? It really is a man, isn't it…?"

Megumin mumbled and fell to her hands and knees dejectedly. Right now, Aqua of all people was climbing the stairway to adulthood. What a cruel world this was…

"Don't jump to conclusions, Megumin. It's times like this that people tend to misunderstand the situation. I refuse to fall prey to such stereotypical circumstances."

Kazuma claimed with his arms crossed defiantly. That's right, if they jumped to conclusions and confronted Aqua about this later and ended up wrong, the girl would hold it against them for days to come!

He couldn't, no, he refused to let Aqua have a win like that!

"You're right! If it really is a man, then we must test his worthiness! Only those who can withstand my Explosion magic are worthy of my party members!"

Megumin bounced back up and claimed as she held her head high into the air.

"No… You're setting your standards too high. Anyone who can meet those conditions would be a monster."

Kazuma retorted before making his way over to the room that Aqua had just entered. Megumin was with him, so it was alright to eavesdrop… Right? She was just watching him contently, so this was alright… Right?

"H-hey, can you hear anything? W-what's going on in there?"

Megumin whispered while fidgeting around with a minor blush on her face.

'If you're that nervous about this, then just go home.'

But even though he thought that, Kazuma was feeling nervous too. After all, who knew what Aqua was doing in this room right now?

"When is he coming back?"

"I don't know, maybe later this evening? He did say he was going on a quest. I'm just glad that he didn't ask me to come along. My body can only take so much…"

Just like that, and Kazuma's worries vanished. There was definitely only girls in there. The first voice was unmistakably Aqua's, and he slightly recognized the second voice but couldn't quite recall who it belonged to.

He was glad that Aqua wasn't crossing the line right now, but who were they talking about?

"Next time I see him, I'll be sure to tell him to give you a proper break. He'll do anything I say if I do something nice for him."

"Please do! I know I said I'd pay back my debts with my body, but that man's stamina is a force to reckoned with! He tries to make me work every day!"

Kazuma gulped. Doing something "nice"? Paying with their body?

What kind of conversation was this!?

"Kazuma… Why are you making such a scary face? What's going on in there!?"

Megumin whispered with her hands to her mouth, but Kazuma ignored her and kept listening.

That's right, now wasn't the time to overreact. He was probably just misunderstanding something. Just keep listening…

"You know, he gave me a shoulder massage when I got a cramp, while we were playing the other day. That man is a bit of a perv, but he is quite a good host."

"Right? He's such a little cutie… I needed his help one day after a long day of helping with the church's remodeling, and he freaked out when the bleeding wouldn't stop."

Kazuma's eyes became saucers, and he turned to see Megumin, who finally managed to gather the courage to put her ear to the door, staring back at him with a similar expression.

"Kazuma! Kazuma! What did she mean by that!? What couldn't stop bleeding!?"

Megumin whispered a little loudly, her once blushing face now ghastly pale.

Before Kazuma could tell the mage to lower her voice, they heard a series of footsteps from within the room.

"Ah! Hold that thought, Aqua-Sama! My loli-senses are tingling!"

What the-

Swoosh!

"Is there a Lolita out here who wants to play with this Onee-San!?"

Cecily shouted after swinging the door open. But when no one answered, she took a look around the hallway to find that there was no one there.

"Aw… That's a bummer."

"Come one, Cecily! Let's play a game to pass the time until Naruto gets back!"

Aqua's voice called from inside the room.

"Okay, Aqua-Sama~!"

Cecily chirped before slamming the door closed, and all was silent in the hallway. The only noise being the laughter coming from the room that Cecily and Aqua were in.

Those two were awfully noisy in the early morning.

Hiding around the corner, Kazuma let go of the breath he had been holding and sighed.

"That was a close one-Guh!"

The boy grunted when Megumin suddenly elbowed him again in his sore ribs.

"Not once, but twice you manhandled me today! Learn some class, you brute!"

Megumin hissed with a steamy face.

Kazuma's face twisted at his party member's irrational behavior, but he bit his tongue. Arguing here would only get them caught.

"Although, I'm glad that Cecily didn't find me. That woman is the type that claims to want a loli harem, and she smothers me for whatever reason."

The Crimson Demon added and shuddered at her past experiences with the Axis Cultist.

"…Heh."

"Ah! You just snickered, didn't you!?"

Megumin shouted, her features brimming with frustration and embarrassment.

"Hey, where are you going Cecily?"

"Sorry, Aqua-Sama! I think I just heard a cute Lolita in need!"

—After evacuating from the inn to avoid being caught, Kazuma and Megumin stopped at a local park to catch their breath.

"To think Cecily-San had a personality like that… It's a real shame too."

Kazuma muttered under his breath, but it was more to himself. Cecily was a beautiful girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, along with a decent figure that her nun's attire did little to hide. But it was clear as day that the woman was lolicon, full and through.

Not to mention that the woman was in a debt that she had collected, one that he was paying for due to the "goddess" that she followed.

"You have my condolences, Naruto…"

"Speaking of Naruto… Aqua mentioned his name, didn't she? Do you think that was his room?"

Megumin asked her party's leader. If that was true, then she would have to teach that man a lesson.

"It would explain why Aqua's been acting so strange lately… But let's not jump to conclusions. Naruto isn't the type of person to juggle women, so let's just go and ask him ourselves."

Kazuma said, and Megumin nodded in agreement while cracking her knuckles.

Was she even listening to him?

* * *

Figuring that Naruto would be at Wiz's shop at this hour, Kazuma and Megumin walked up to the small steps that led to the entrance.

The shop must have still been closed as the doors weren't open for customers and the "Open" sign was nowhere to be seen.

Megumin's first action was to creep up the stairs and rest her ear against the door. Whatever nervousness she had earlier was long gone.

"What are you doing? It's just Naruto and Wiz in there, and I know for a fact that nothing is going on in there."

Kazuma said as he casually walked up the steps. He was about to knock on the door when Megumin grabbed his hand and brought him down to her level.

"What are you-"

"Shh! Listen…"

Megumin hissed before she went back to listening.

Rolling his eyes, Kazuma placed his ear on the door.

"A-am I doing it right?"

"Yeah, grab it nice and firmly with your hands and squeeze…"

"Like this…?"

"N-no! That's too hard!"

"Kyah! Ah… I-it got in my eyes…"

Kazuma and Megumin shared one look, both thinking the same thing.

Bam!

"What the hell is going on here!?" x2

"!" x2

The two burst through the door and shouted, causing Naruto and Wiz to jolt in surprise.

But the moment Kazuma saw what they were doing, he realized he had screwed up.

Naruto and Wiz were standing at the center table, both wearing cooking aprons. Their arms seemed to be covered with white powder as their hands moved around inside of the two bowls sat in front of them along with other cooking utensils.

Without a doubt, Naruto was simply teaching Wiz how to make ramen.

"Ah! My door…! I just had it replaced last week because someone placed a permanent holy enchantment on it as a prank…"

Wiz moped as she rushed over to the entrance, the door frame where the lock once was now in splinters.

"Kazuma? Megumin? What are you guys doing here?"

Naruto asked with a frown while glancing at the now sobbing shopkeeper.

"S-sorry… Megumin and I-"

Kazuma started but was interrupted by his partner in crime.

"Kazuma thought you were juggling women after he eavesdropped on Aqua and Cecily in your room, so he came here to set you straight!"

Megumin shouted and averted her gaze when Kazuma glared at her.

T-this girl!

* * *

"So that's what happened… Well, it's true that Aqua did get a cramp after we played Twister. I felt bad since I cheated by having my clone spin the wheel hard enough to make it land on a difficult spot for her, so I offered to give her a shoulder rub to make up for it."

Naruto explained to the two adventurers who were on the floor, seiza-style.

Kazuma raised an eyebrow. They had the game Twister in this world? He'd have to keep that in mind for the next time one of the girls pissed him off. He could use his Steal skill while they were in an awkward position and… Actually, no. Putting Darkness aside, that sounded like a road to a quick death.

"B-but! What about Cecily! Why was she bleeding after coming to you f-for ' _help_ '?"

Megumin questioned while struggling to look the blonde in the eyes.

"Oh, that? Cecily had a nasty splinter, and when I pulled it out, she started bleeding a lot. I overreacted a bit, it's a little embarrassing…"

Naruto admitted while scratching at his whisker marks awkwardly.

Megumin blinked upon hearing this revelation.

"I can't tell who the bigger idiot is… Me for believing that you were a player or you for being such a wimpy man."

"H-hey! I don't want to hear that from a girl who's only good for one mediocre attack in a fight!"

Naruto barked, and Megumin was instantly in his face.

"How can you say that Explosion magic is mediocre when it's the most powerful offensive magic in the entire world!? Did that junk food go to your head!?"

"Call my ramen junk food one more time, and I'll tell Cecily to replace all your napkins with Axis Cult recruit forms!"

To put a stop to their pointless bickering, Kazuma placed an arm on Naruto's shoulder.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt but I got a favor to ask. Can you convince Aqua to come with us? I got first dibs on a dungeon exploration quest and since Darkness is still gone, and Megumin can't use her magic inside a place like that…"

Kazuma trailed off

Naruto sent a triumphant smirk to Megumin, who averted her gaze with a pout. He then turned back to Kazuma with a foxlike grin.

"Sure, but only if you take me with you! I haven't explored a dungeon yet, and I think Yunyun could probably use a break today. She's been really tired the past few days. I guess going on quests every day is taking its toll on her."

The shinobi added, prompting the Crimson Demon to perk up again at the mentioning of her self-proclaimed rival.

"What kind of quests are you going on that could make Yunyun so tired?"

Megumin asked because as much as she hated to admit, Yunyun was the second best in their school. Second to her, of course. But Yunyun's magic reserves were no joke, so the thought of her not recovering from doing a single quest with Naruto around sounded a little fishy.

"…Could it be that you took advantage of Yunyun's trusting nature and crossed the line-"

"No! I would never do something like that!"

Naruto heatedly denied, his ears burning bright red.

Kazuma sighed. Did this girl learn nothing? He assumed it was because Yunyun was involved, but still… Oh well… It'll be reassuring since Naruto was coming along.

Hopefully, he'll be able to convince Aqua.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you zubhanwc3 for editing this chapter~**


	56. Picking up Sages in a Dungeon Part 1

**A/N: Thank you zubhanwc3 for editing this chapter!**

* * *

"Are you sure that you'll be able to convince Aqua to come with? That girl can be quite stubborn, you know?"

Kazuma asked as they ascended the stairs towards Naruto's place of residence.

"That may be true, but I'm sure that she'll come around if I ask nicely. I've gotten pretty good at handing that child."

Naruto bragged while pointing a thumb at himself, but Kazuma remained unconvinced.

Dealing with Aqua was not an easy task. If you were too nice to her, she was quick to exploit that kindness. Naruto was a nice person, so long as you stayed on his good side, and Kazuma was worried that the blonde was being taken advantage of again.

"Come to think of it, hasn't something like this happened before in the past? Naruto seems rather lenient on Aqua when she bosses him around. You don't think that he's like Darkness, is he?"

Megumin whispered into her party member's ear.

"Oi, oi… Don't say such scary things, Megumin. You'll raise a flag."

Kazuma responded while shivering at the thought of Naruto having similar tendencies as their party's resident "M."

At the same time, Naruto stopped at his door and unlocked it. The shinobi then proceeded to step inside with a bubbly smile adorning his face.

"Aqua~! I'm home~!"

"Oh! You're back early!"

Aqua sprang off the bed and ran over to the entrance to greet Naruto with a toothy smile on her own.

"Welcome home darling~! Would you like to make us lunch? Or _have_ us?"

Cecily cooed something unbefitting that of a nun from her spot on the bed.

'Are we still doing the family setting thing? Or rather… Is Naruto always being greeted like this when he comes home!?'

Kazuma thought with a twitchy eyebrow when he suddenly felt a tug on his sleeve.

"Looks like our girl found a new home, Kazuma-San. Let's just go…"

Megumin whimpered while wiping a tear from her eye.

Ignoring the heartbroken "mother," Kazuma turned his attention back to the others. Either Cecily's obvious implication went over the shinobi's head, or he just chose to ignore it as he was currently trying to convince the two priestesses to join them on their dungeon quest.

"I'll make us all lunch, but we'll eat it once we get to the dungeon."

Naruto said while patting Aqua on the head affectionately, but the girl squirmed away from his reach upon hearing his proclamation.

"Eh~? A dungeon? Why would we eat at such a cold and damp place? Don't wanna~!"

Aqua complained while pouting with puffy cheeks.

"That's right! If you want to bring us to a dark place, you can just turn off all the lights and close the shades! The neighbors won't complain about the noise, I already asked."

Cecily added with a dangerous gleam in her eyes, puffs of steam coming out of her nose.

"…I'm not even going to ask. Anyways, Kazuma needs Aqua to go on this quest, and I decided to come along, so you're coming too, Cecily. After all, we still need to pay off _your_ debt."

Naruto explained and stepped out of the way to reveal Kazuma and Megumin standing in the doorway.

Cecily squealed in delight upon seeing the little girl.

"Megumin~!"

"Geh…! C-can't breathe…!"

"Mmf! This size… *Sniff!* This smell… Perfect Loli! Yunyun is good too, but she's a little too mature for my tastes."

With a now limp Megumin who was foaming at the mouth in her arms, Cecily turned back to Naruto and sighed.

"Fine, I guess I'll go. If only to make sure this child is kept safe!"

"I wanna go home…"

Megumin whimpered with fish-like eyes as the Axis Cultist brushed her hair.

'My condolences…'

Kazuma thought and sent a mental salute to the mage of his party. That priestess seemed just as troublesome as Aqua in her own right, but with her own unique quirks that were just as bothersome.

But this was fine since Megumin wouldn't be going into the dungeon in the first place. Now all that was left was Aqua…

"Come on, Aqua... Please? Just come with us!"

"Don't wanna! Don't wanna! Don't wanna~!"

Naruto was trying his best to convince the stubborn goddess to join them but to no avail. The girl was now flailing about on the ground like a child who didn't want to go to school.

They didn't even need to bring the girl, as Kazuma felt he'd probably be okay with just Naruto, but he still had his pride as an adventurer! He couldn't rely on Naruto all the time!

Kazuma sighed and was about to intervene when the shinobi suddenly walked towards the kitchen, a sly grin on his face.

"If you go with us… I'll make your favorite Food of the Gods-style ramen tonight~!"

Naruto offered while patting a crate inside of his kitchen, most likely where he stored his ingredients and wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

Aqua stopped squirming on the floor and glanced up with one eye warily.

On the other hand, Kazuma was utterly baffled. Ramen? Naruto was going to bait Aqua of all people with ramen?

Then again, Wiz seemed to have some sort of weird withdrawal symptom whenever she went without eating the stuff for too long… Naruto wasn't drugging those noodles, was he?

But it seemed even the "food of the gods" wasn't enough to convince the goddess as she turned away in a huff.

This seemed to really hit Naruto hard as he sank to his knees in disbelief. But his disbelief quickly turned to anger as a tick-mark formed on his forehead.

"F-fine! You can do whatever you want when we get back! Just come with us to the dungeon, alright!?"

"Deal!"

Looks like Naruto still had a long way to go when it came to dealing with Aqua. But for whatever reason, Kazuma could have sworn he saw Naruto smiling as they filed out of the hallway. He really hoped his troublesome party member didn't awaken something dark in the shinobi.

The last thing the former high school student needed was another problem child to deal with.

* * *

 **Adventurer's Guild…**

"Oh, welcome Naruto-San, and Kazuma-San! Are you heading out to Keele's dungeon together?"

Luna chirped as Naruto and Kazuma walked up to the reception stalls.

"Yup! We just wanted to stop by to let you know, Luna-Chan. Oh, and to pick up Yunyun too."

Naruto responded with a grin that was just as cheerful. Was it just him, or was Luna in a rather good mood?

"Is that Yunyun over there? She looks beat…"

Kazuma asked and pointed towards to the back of the guild where Yunyun usually waited for Naruto.

Despite the rowdiness of the other adventurers who were still drinking their Dullahan reward money away, the younger girl was sleeping rather soundly with her face rested on her arms.

"Ah, yes… That Crimson Demon has been accommodating me these past few days and even lends me an ear when I need to vent. Yesterday, I had to break up yet another fight between some of the adventurers. Honestly… There aren't that many quests because most of the weaker monsters are hibernate during the winter. But all these men have been doing is getting wasted all day and night. I just hope this doesn't last after winter passes. Of course, I'll have you to rely on to take on the hard quests if they start to pile up. Right, Naruto-San?"

Luna explained while shaking her head before asking a question that Naruto would have been more than happy to hear at any other time. But the fact that the woman's cheerful demeanor never left her features despite her complaints sent shivers down the shinobi's spine.

Scary…

"O-of course!"

Naruto stuttered before saying his farewells to the busty guild lady. That must be why Luna was in such a good mood. Even Naruto knew the head receptionist had a rather stressful job. Yunyun must have taken the full brunt of Luna's frustrations…

He decided to let Yunyun have a break today.

* * *

"Rope… Check! Potions… Check! Lantern… Check! Emergency Rations… Check!"

Standing in front of a cave entrance that was _Keele's Dungeon_ , Kazuma listed off his dungeon exploration essentials before wrapping them in small blankets and placing them into his backpack.

"You sure came prepared."

Naruto commented while looking over his fellow teen's shoulder with an impressed look.

"Fufu… In games, one could never be too prepared when entering a dungeon. You never know what will happen, or how long you'll be in there."

Kazuma claimed with a confident smirk as he showed off the knowledge he had gained over the years from fantasy games.

"Who needs all that stuff when you have the great me with you?"

Aqua bragged while puffing her chest out with pride.

"Oh, is that so? Great, because this bag was getting kinda heavy with all this food. I guess I'll just leave our lunch with Megumin and Cecily-"

"W-wait! I'll go hungry in there if you do that! Please don't, Kazuma-San!"

While Kazuma was busy prying a teary Aqua from his legs, Naruto pulled out a scroll from his ninja pouch.

"You know, Kazuma… If your bag is too heavy, I can always store yours and Aqua's rations in one of my storage scrolls?"

Naruto offered, and to give an example, he placed his own lunch onto the scroll that he had laid out on the floor and made a hand sign with his other hand.

Poof!

Kazuma's eyes widened when the food disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving only the scroll with strange markings on it.

'Convenient! N-no, wait! I need to go through this dungeon with as little help from Naruto as possible…'

With that thought, Kazuma held a hand up and shook his head.

"I appreciate it, but no thanks. I want to see how far I can go with my own power. But please teach me how to make those things later."

"So that's how it is… Sure thing, Kazuma!"

Though he said that, Naruto wasn't sure if he can teach Kazuma at all. After all, making and using a storage scroll was a jutsu that required chakra.

Naruto pondered while tapping his chin in thought. Would he be able to teach someone ninjutsu even if they had no chakra? This was something that he would need to test later on.

"Alright, let's go!"

Kazuma declared and set off to march into the dungeon for the very first time in his adventuring career. He could barely contain his excitement! This was the first time that he was going to experience something that was ACTUALLY fantasy-like since coming to this world! At least since learning elementary magic.

"Good luck, you three! I'll be sure to keep Megumin nice and warm while you're in there!"

Cecily chirped while waving goodbye with her free hand, the other squeezing Megumin into her bosom.

"Help…"

The Crimson Demon's muffled voice came out from the blonde priestess's clothes.

Naruto chuckled awkwardly while waving back to his fellow blonde. He was pretty sure that Megumin would be alright with Cecily… Hopefully.

* * *

"It's kinda dark in here… But I'll be fine with my new skill: Farsight! Couple this together with my other skill, Enemy Detect, and we won't have to worry about monsters ambushing us in the dark! Impressive, right?"

Kazuma boasted as he crept down the poorly lit stairs with ease.

"Fukusukusu! Silly Kazuma… Have you forgotten who I am? I can see perfectly fine in here with my God Vision! It might as well be daytime in here for me~!"

Aqua boasted back before skipping a few steps to catch up to Naruto with her hand outstretched.

"Since you probably can't see very well right now, I'll allow you to hold my hand, so you don't fall Naruto!"

"That's okay. I can see just fine with my trained Ninja Vision!"

Naruto said while stepping over some rubble as if to prove his point.

The look of disappointment on Aqua's face probably would have been funny if it weren't for his failed attempt at showing off. Just what kind of monsters was he acquainted with anyway? What was this 'God Vision' and 'Ninja Vision'?

—For the next couple minutes of walking through the dungeon, nothing eventful happened.

Luna had explained that Keele's Dungeon had already been explored and mapped by plenty of adventurers, save for the recently discovered secret entrance marked on their map.

So, while they were making their way towards the secret entrance, Kazuma decided to ask Naruto a few questions that he had been meaning to ask.

"I heard that Dust quit your party the other day. Did something happen?"

"Ah, um… Dust missed his old party and… didn't approve of a certain magic item I used on our quests."

Naruto muttered the last bit while scratching at his whisker marks, something which immediately drew Kazuma's suspicion.

"What kind of item?"

"A necklace that attracted rare and powerful monsters."

"…Oi, Oi! You're not wearing that thing right now, are you!?"

Kazuma demanded while taking a step away from the shinobi. Now that he thought about it, a magic item like that would explain why they were attacked by a One-Shot Bear during Naruto and Megumin's Explosion competition, as well as that Abominable Snowman appearing while they were being confronted by the Winter Shogun.

In other words, it was that necklace's fault that he died again!

"Don't worry, I don't need such an item anymore! Luna-Chan gave me permission to do more difficult quests without a full party anyway. Although, I do wonder what would happen if I brought that necklace on one of those harder quests…"

Naruto explained before muttering something rather dangerous at the end with a gleam that was just as dangerous in his eyes.

The two walked in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds being their footsteps and Aqua's light humming.

Then-

"Please throw away that necklace."

"I refuse."

When Naruto declined without hesitation, Kazuma realized the reason why Dust left the shinobi's party. This guy was dangerous!

"Neh, Naruto? What happened to that creep with the magic sword that you beat? Y-you know, the one you made that promise to?"

Aqua suddenly stopped humming and asked, having missed the two boy's entire conversation.

"Creep with a magic… Oh, you mean Mitsurugi!"

Naruto bopped a fist into his hand when he realized who Aqua was referring to.

"You two should apologize to that guy later…"

Kazuma muttered with a slight frown. Mitsurugi's hero complex was one thing, and he was quite unreasonable to challenge him to a duel that one time, but the guy had good intentions, so there was no need to hold a grudge.

"After the trial, Mitsurugi actually asked me to join his party."

"!?" x2

When Naruto suddenly mentioned such a surprising development with a casual expression, Kazuma and Aqua almost tripped on their own feet.

"W-what nerve! First, that man unreasonably challenges you to a dual, then he doesn't even show up at the trial to defend you!"

Aqua steamed while stomping her foot on the ground.

'If I recall, weren't you one of the reasons that Mitsurugi was so mistakenly angry at Naruto?'

Kazuma retorted in his mind, but he quickly dismissed the thought and turned to Naruto.

"You obviously didn't accept his offer though, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't be here with us right now."

"Yeah, that's right. I declined. He had wanted to take me closer to the capital where most of the battles with the Demon King's army is taking place. But I told him I still had things to take care of in this town, and friends I couldn't say goodbye to yet…"

Naruto clarified his answer to the Sword Master's request. Besides, Mitsurugi sounded a lot more serious about taking down the Demon King than he was right now, and if Naruto was being truthful, he didn't want the Demon King to be defeated yet.

He was having fun helping Wiz with her shop, going on quests with Yunyun, and coming home to Aqua's smile…

' **My god… You're completely smitten to that monstrosity! Did you lose a part of your brain after coming to this world?'**

'Shaddup! I don't want to hear that from a monster fox who plays with his friend's body in the middle of the night!'

' **P-play…!? Before I educate you in your lack of context, must I remind you that my taking over your body was for a just cause!?'**

Ignoring Kurama's nonsensical rambling, Naruto crossed his arms in frustration. Leaving Kurama's irrational hatred for Aqua aside, he was genuinely enjoying himself and felt that things were only about to get better.

It might sound selfish, but he didn't want the Demon King to be defeated just yet. So he could continue to have fun in this town of beginners.

While Naruto was lost in his own thoughts, Kazuma was eyeing his party's priestess who was currently hiding her face.

'Yup. That girl definitely mistook Naruto's reason for staying.'

But then again, Naruto seemed to enjoy Aqua's company. So maybe this situation wasn't all that bad?

He had this thought before, but wouldn't it be good if Naruto and Aqua crossed the line and became lovers? That would mean that Aqua wouldn't be his problem anymore! She'd be Naruto's responsibility!

If that was the case, then maybe he should-

'Wait a second… I might just be overthinking here, but…'

Kazuma glanced over his shoulder to look back at Naruto and Aqua when a sudden thought hit him.

Aqua, despite her faulty personality, was a goddess with a limitless pool of mana and was a complete scatterbrain. On the other hand, Naruto, while not the brightest person either, had the mind of master trickster and the power to wipe out an entire

If the two were to ever have a kid, their offspring would have nearly limitless potential. If that child was born with a faulty personality like his/her parents…

. . .

Kazuma vowed to keep those two from ever crossing the line. For the sake of the world.

* * *

 **A/N: Long time no see! It's been a while, huh? I do apologize for those who are suffering STWS, other known as "Shinobi's Take Withdrawal Syndrome" Ooooh~! 0_0**

… **Just kidding!**

 **So, when will the next chapter come? Who knows! Whenever I can/feel like it, I guess. :p**

 **Review or P.M. me if you have any questions/comments/concerns for the story, or if you just wanna chat.**

 **See you in the next one!**


	57. Picking up Sages in a Dungeon Part 2

**A/N: Thank you zubhanwc3 for editing this chapter!**

* * *

"Looks like this is the place."

Kazuma said as he looked up from the map that Luna had given him. He then lifted his arm and placed his palm on the cold wall, and just as he applied some pressure-

Shhhrk!

The brick slid into the wall, and a low rumbling could be heard as the rest of the wall seemingly collapsed, revealing a hidden passage.

"Oho~! This should be interesting!"

Naruto exclaimed while marching straight in, followed by Aqua and finally Kazuma who rolled his eyes at the blonde's cliched enthusiasm.

But it was to be expected, as they hadn't run into a single monster thus far, so it was safe to assume that Naruto was itching for a fight right about now.

"This part of the dungeon hasn't been explored yet, right Kazuma? Maybe we'll find some loot and strike it rich!"

Aqua said with a greedy expression just as they walked into the first open room of the unexplored territory. It was a small chamber that led to three different pathways.

Keele's Dungeon was a low-level tomb that was popular for beginner adventurers. Having been delved in by so many people, of course there wasn't going to be much inside.

But with this newly found passageway, it opened a lot of opportunities. That's why Kazuma was so quick to snatch this quest just as the guild receptionist Onee-Chan was putting it up.

If they were lucky, they might find a treasure vauluable enough to pay off the rest of their debt!

"I understand why you're excited, but don't go too far, Aqua. There could be traps."

Kazuma warned when he noticed Aqua venturing towards the right side of the room. If he wasn't mistaken, his Enemy Detection skill was-

"Hey, Kazuma! I found something!"

"Yeep!"

Kazuma let out a surprised yelp when Naruto had suddenly appeared behind him by placing a hand on his shoulder, and the shinobi seemed just as surprised by his fellow male's not so manly reaction.

"D-don't sneak up on me like that… Well? What did you find?"

"That!"

Naruto pointed towards the left pathway, which seemed to be sealed off by a pair of stone doors.

As they walked towards the door, Kazuma noticed a metallic level next to the door's frame. If he had to guess, it was probably used to open and close the door. He saw things like this in games all the time.

However, even without his gamer knowledge, a door with a lever like this was obviously a trap.

Why? Because they weren't even that deep in the unexplored territory. Whoever made this dungeon obviously wanted to keep something hidden in here, and surely Naruto had noticed as well-

"I'm gonna pull the lever!"

"!"

With an eager grin on his face, opposite to Kazuma's look of horror, Naruto pulled the lever without hesitation.

The stone doors opened inwards, revealing a pitch-black hallway. At the same time, the two boys heard something slam behind them.

Turning their backs to the hall, Naruto and Kazuma blinked when they found that Aqua was nowhere to be seen.

"…Aqua?"

Naruto's eyes widened and took a few steps forward until he was standing in the middle of the room. He noticed one of the other entrances was now closed.

"H-hey, Aqua! Where did you go? Damn it… I told her not to go too far!"

Kazuma muttered the last bit and used his Enemy Detection skill to see if the sound of the doors moving had attracted any monsters. Luckily, there were in the clear for now.

But since they had time…

"Why would you pull a strange looking lever like that!? That thing was screaming: 'I'm a trap'! Are you actually stupid?"

Kazuma barked while pointing an accusing finger at the shinobi, who was making his way towards one of the other paths.

"Hey! That's exactly why I had to pull it! My instincts were telling me that a powerful entity was behind these doors, and the only way to open it was with that lever! Probably!"

Naruto barked back before putting his ear on the stone door.

"Now quiet down for a second… This door wasn't here before, so maybe Aqua's trapped inside?"

"Oh yeah, Aqua was snooping around here earlier… Oi, Aqua! Are you in there?"

Kazuma shouted into the wall with Naruto, and sure enough-

"K-Kazuma!? I was just looking for treasure when the doors closed! Now the walls are making a bunch of funny noises!"

Aqua's muffled voice came from the other side of the wall.

"Alright, just hang on a second! We'll open the doors!"

Kazuma shouted back before giving Naruto a nod, and the blonde sighed in relief.

The lever was probably connected to both sets of doors, and the doors to the room Aqua had just walked into must have closed when Naruto pulled it.

"Waahh! K-Kazuma-San! Now the walls are getting closer! Hurry up and get me out of here!"

Just barely hearing the girl's screams, Kazuma halted in his footsteps.

The walls were closing in on her? No, of course there had to be a cliched trap like that here. He'd better hurry and pull the lever again.

"Aqua! Step as far away from the door as you can and brace yourself!"

Naruto suddenly shouted as his hand began to glow a bright blue. The light lit up the room as the shinobi's technique swirled in his palm.

Seeing this, Kazuma's face turned pale. That guy wasn't seriously planning on using a skill to blow the door down, was he!?

But before Kazuma could so much as open his mouth, Naruto slammed the sphere into the doors.

Boom!

The Rasengan ground into the door before exploding in a brilliant flash of blue. The entrance exploded, covering the entire room with dust and debris.

"Cough! Cough! Aqua? Are you okay?"

Waving away the dust, Naruto was surprised when a teary-eyed Aqua emerged from the smoke and wrapped her arms around him.

"Naruto-Saaaan! What took you so loooong!? I thought I was gonna diiiiieee!"

Aqua wailed while burying her face into the blonde's jacket.

"There, there… You're safe now, Aqua."

Naruto whispered in a soothing voice while gently patting the girl's head.

Resisting the urge to cringe, Kazuma was about to remind the two that it was Naruto who had activated the trap in the first place when he suddenly felt a tug in the back of his mind.

'This feeling… My Enemy Detection skill is…!'

Cranking his head to the side, Kazuma looked through the middle entrance and activated his Farsight ability. What he saw next was about a dozen pairs of bright red eyes staring right back at him.

Without wasting any time, Kazuma grabbed Naruto and Aqua's hands and dragged them towards the left pathway.

"H-hey, what gives...!?"

Naruto started asking when he noticed the dark figures lurking just outside of the room.

"That explosive skill of yours attracted a bunch of monsters! We need to run!"

Kazuma roared without looking back, and just as they passed the middle path, the monsters began to flood in. There had to be at least twenty rat-like creatures and undead altogether.

"WAAAHHH! Naruto-San! Do something!"

Aqua screamed when she saw the hungry looking rats and undead that were now hot on their trail.

They had almost reached the left path. Just a bit further-

"Ah! Naruto! What are you…!?"

Just as they cleared the left entrance, Kazuma felt Naruto's hand slip out of his grasp, and he looked back to see the shinobi grinning like a madman.

"Don't worry, guys. I got this."

Naruto said and gave the two a thumbs up before he pulled the lever.

The last thing Kazuma saw was a bunch of monsters pouncing on Naruto before the doors slammed shut.

 **. . .**

"Aqua… Naruto sacrificed himself so that we could pay off our debts. Let's not let his efforts go to waste and strike it rich here."

"Hah? What are you talking about? Naruto promised to make me happy. There's no way that a couple monsters are going to get in the way."

Aqua snootily retorted while rolling her eyes.

Of course, Kazuma knew that Naruto was going to be just fine. After all, that man had an overpowered cheat that was strong enough to evaporate the Mobile Fortress Destroyer.

But cheat or no cheat, those monsters were going to take some time to kill in an enclosed space like this. So, Kazuma could take advantage of the shinobi's absence to get Aqua back on his side.

"You're right, Naruto promised to protect you. But shouldn't that include protecting you from poverty too? You're not happy being poor, are you?"

Kazuma casually remarked while shaking his head as if what he was saying was common sense.

"Y-you do have a point… A goddess such as myself should be living in a luxurious manor. Not some shabby old apartment. Even that creep Macoroni said something like that."

Aqua muttered more to herself while rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

'Good… She's starting to come back to her normal senses. Now I just need to get her to turn on Naruto, and-'

While Kazuma was busy plotting his sabotage, the stone doors reopened, and Naruto was found standing with his hands rested behind his head.

"Yo!"

Naruto casually greeted with a short wave.

"Ah! You're injured! Here, let me fix that for you! Isn't it convenient to have a goddess like me around?"

Aqua chirped while spouting something that Kazuma could only describe as "out of character, save for the last part."

"Oh, t-thanks. It's a lot different fighting in a concealed area, so I let my guard down during the battle."

Naruto stuttered when Aqua rushed up to him and started healing the small gash on his arm.

'He's already finished!?'

Kazuma thought with wide eyes. Looking past the two, he felt a shiver run down his spine upon seeing the aftermath of Naruto's 'battle.'

While his Farsight ability didn't give him perfect night vision, he could see the bodies of the monsters scattered throughout the room behind the shinobi. One of which was laying on the ground in a strange position under a dark trail that led up the wall. A trail that he could only assume was the monster's blood.

'Scary!'

* * *

Back at the surface of the dungeon, Cecily and Megumin decided to play a game to pass the time.

"Megumin~! Where are you~?"

Cecily chimed as she walked along the edge of the clearing, peering back and forth between the dungeon's entrance and the forest.

Behind one of the nearby trees, Megumin held her breath when she heard Cecily's footsteps drawing near. The reason she had suggested this game of hide-and-seek was because Cecily was starting to get a little carried away with her "cuddling".

She was turning fourteen in a couple weeks, damn it! That was the marriable age in this kingdom, which made her a full adult!

So why did Cecily keep treating her like a child when she was clearly not!?

"Fooound youuuu~!"

"N-nooooooo!"

* * *

The path was quite long, so the trio walked mostly in silence as they ventured into various rooms that were frequently empty. It was rather underwhelming considering they were in unexplored territory.

Kazuma was mapping out where they had explored, while Aqua left marks on the walls so that they could easily find their way back.

Naruto was left on the defense, but the only enemies they seemed to be facing was the occasional horde of undead.

"Hey, Naruto? What's Ero-Senin been doing lately? I thought I spotted him at the trial, but..."

Kazuma asked as he could have sworn he saw the older man's spiky white hair in the crowd. Someone as influential as the famous Ero-Senin could have been helpful.

"Ah, but it wasn't like I was hoping for one of those developments where the old mentor saves the protagonist before taking him on a journey to train, like in anime and manga or anything… Hahaha…"

"I don't know what anime or manga is, but I don't think that Ero-Senin is taking on any more pupils. He was in town for a bit, but it was only to visit _that_ shop. Sorry, Kazuma."

Naruto said apologetically while scratching at the whisker marks on his cheek. Even if Jiraiya were taking on students, Naruto wouldn't recommend learning under the man anyways. Especially with the way that Jiraiya seemed to be acting nowadays.

The old pervert was mostly the same, but he seemed a lot more… Relaxed, in a way. It was almost like he was enjoying an endless vacation.

Maybe this new world was affecting his old mentor?

'…Nah, there's no way.'

Naruto thought with a slight chuckle when he suddenly heard Kurama snort.

' **Are you sure about that?'**

'What? Got something to say?'

' **No. Just wondering how long it's going to take.'**

'?'

While Naruto was pondering over Kurama's nonchalant, yet cryptic comment, the group entered a dimly lit hallway that was decorated with statues along its walls.

"Naruto, I smell more undead coming! Keep them busy and I'll purify them in one go!"

Aqua commanded while glaring off into the distance where there was, in fact, another horde of undead.

Naruto nodded and pulled out his kunai. He didn't have a way to put down an undead for good, as he didn't have a single holy-based skill, so he had to rely on Aqua to deliver the finishing blow.

Well, undead were also weak to fire. But the only skills he had that could potentially kill an undead would also cause a cave in, so that was a no go.

At least there weren't any ghosts in this dungeon… He couldn't even hit those creepy things.

As Naruto and Aqua worked together to defeat the undead, Kazuma stared at the goddess's back.

There was something off about this girl right now, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Not to mention the absurd number of undead in this dungeon.

"Kazuma… Kazuma! I've disposed of those undead! You can praise me if you want."

Aqua chimed while puffing her chest out with pride, demanding praise from her party leader.

What an attention whore.

"Alright, you two. Let's go. I think we're almost at the end."

Kazuma said and brushed passed the goddess of water without giving her a second glance.

"Ah! You just thought of something rude, didn't you!? Admit it! Admit that you would be completely helpless in this dungeon if it weren't for Naruto and me! You Hiki-NEET!"

Aqua threw her hands into the air and basically shouted the last bit into Kazuma's ear like a banshee.

"H-hey… Don't you think that's going a bit too far, Aqua?"

Naruto stuttered as he tried to play peacekeeper, but it was too late. The damage had already been done, as the girl's words had just caused Mt. Kazuma to erupt.

"Are. You. Kidding me!? You and Naruto have been doing nothing but causing me trouble! The lever, the monsters, the undead, and the cheezy rom-com moments! Also, I bet that it's your fault that all of these undead have been showing up because of that 'holy presence' that you keep bragging about! So instead of flirting with your boyfriend, why don't you start taking responsibility for your actions, you useless harlot!"

Kazuma screamed, his voice seething with frustration and echoing throughout the cave. When he was done, he let out a few huffs as he caught his breath.

It was kind of annoying that this was the only way to deal with Aqua, but at least he managed to get his point across.

"…"

In a matter of seconds, Aqua's expression went from shocked, to sniffling, to full-blown sobbing before she took off running.

Naruto frowned. He understood that Aqua could get a little carried away at times, but Kazuma had gone too far this time.

"Hey, I think you should be a little nicer to-"

"Wrong! This is the only way to put that woman in her place! If you give her some lease, she'll pull you straight into the deep end in a heartbeat! In fact, she probably ran away like that to make you react like this!"

Kazuma interjected while chopping the air, but seeing the incredulous look on Naruto's face, he sighed before continuing.

"Listen, Naruto. I have high hopes for you, and since you want to get closer to Aqua, for whatever reason, take my advice. As the man who has spent the most time with that girl, I've learned that you have to strike her down from her high horse as hard as you can. Even if it makes you look like the bad guy, you have to do it for your own sake. As I said before, she's the kind of person who will take advantage of another's kindness."

"…"

Naruto wasn't entirely convinced, but he nodded anyway. Arguing while in the middle of dungeon wasn't going to do them any good. For now, they needed to go find Aqua before she found any trouble.

"Kyaaah!"

A feminine scream followed by the sound of rocks crumbling filled the two boy's ears.

Well that didn't take long…

* * *

"Better run, Megumin~! Onee-San's gonna catch you~!"

"My level has gone up quite a bit since we last met… and yet… you're keeping up with me so easily!?"

Cecily and Megumin were now playing tag, and it was the former's turn to be 'it.' But the genius of the Crimson Demons was struggling to gain any distance. Every turn she made, the Axis Cultist would be right there to greet her. It was almost frustrating.

"Ahaha! Chasing a cute loli through the woods is the best!"

"Please don't say misleading things like that! Also, I'm not a loli!"

* * *

"Owowow…"

Aqua mumbled as she rubbed the back of her head. After she had run away, she got scared when an unfamiliar voice called out to her from behind a corner when the wall suddenly caved in, which caused her to fall on her back.

"Aqua! Are you okay?"

Naruto asked as he and Kazuma arrived at the scene. He extended out his hand, to which the priestess graciously accepted.

Raising herself to her feet with the shinobi's help, Aqua faced Kazuma for a second before turning away in a huff. But then she saw the open hole in the wall, and her eyes widened in realization.

"Look, Kazuma! Look what I found all by myself! Who's useless now~? Puhehehe!"

'T-this bitch…!'

Kazuma ground his teeth in rage and looked at Naruto as if to say: 'you see what I mean!?'.

Naruto laughed awkwardly with a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek. He knew where Kazuma was coming from, but making a girl cry, even if that girl was Aqua, was still a bit too much for him…

"… _Are one of you perhaps an Arch Priest?"_

"!" x3

The trio jumped out of their skin when an old, raspy voice came out of the room behind Aqua.

"This scent… An undead!"

Aqua sniffed the air before getting into a battle stance, but Kazuma put an arm in front of her before she could do anything stupid.

The only other undead that he had met that could speak was Wiz, a Lich, so jumping headfirst into battle was not a very smart thing to do.

"Are you a Lich?"

Naruto asked, stepping in front of his two friends defensively. His face was calm but serious at the same time. He was ready to fight, but simultaneously, he wasn't giving off any hostile vibes.

"As expected of a ninja" -is what Kazuma wanted to say, but he could see Naruto's hand twitching ever so slightly towards his kunai. Upon further inspection, the blonde's lips were also twitching.

Just how battle-hungry could one man be!?

The cloaked figure was sitting in the back of the room next to what looked like a small bed.

"No need to be alarmed… I don't mean any harm. My name is Keele, the creator of this dungeon."

— _Long ago, there an Arch Wizard named Keele. After doing many great deeds for the kingdom, he was rewarded by the king. He could choose anything his heart desired. "Choose any bride, and she will be yours!", the king said. But the mage's heart already belonged to the daughter of noble, who had been married off for political reasons. His wish was for his beloved to be free. So, he eloped with his beloved and escaped from the capital, making enemies with the entire kingdom. In order to protect his wife, Keele had abandoned his humanity and became a Lich. He created the dungeon so that the monsters he controlled with his undead powers would protect them from those who would do them harm._

"That is her body there… My wife. Doesn't she have the most Wonderful clavicle? Kehehe!"

Keele chimed while gesturing towards the bed next to his chair. Rested upon the bed was the skeleton of a woman, if the white dress was anything to go by.

Naruto was almost disappointed that he wouldn't get to face such a powerful undead, but after hearing the Lich's story, he agreed to ask Aqua to purify him so that he could reunite with his deceased lover.

'He was injured while protecting his wife…'

Kazuma thought while looking at the undead mage, who was saying his last prayers to his beloved.

'He turned into a Lich so that he could continue to protect her…'

Naruto thought and looked at Kazuma, who returned the look.

At this time, Aqua was drawing a magic circle on the floor to amplify her purification spell.

'This Lich is a pretty cool guy…' x2

Both Kazuma and Naruto thought in unison.

"Okay, everything's ready!"

Aqua stood up and said, bringing all three boys out of their collective thoughts.

After a few moments, Keele was kneeling within the circle in front of Aqua.

"Arch Wizard Keele, who forsook god's law and willingly became a Lich… In the name of Aqua, the Goddess of Water, your sin is forgiven."

As the girl continued to chant her purification spell, Kazuma squinted his eyes.

'Again, who is this beautiful girl? She looks like a goddess you could take out in public and not be ashamed of!'

But it wasn't just Aqua he was worried about… Kazuma turned to Naruto and found that the boy looked like a high school boy staring at his crush from across the classroom!

'Shoot! I said I was going to keep them apart, but not only did I give Naruto advice on how to handle Aqua, but now he looks like he's become completely gaa-gaa for her!'

While Kazuma was having a mental crisis, Naruto's eyes were glued on the very object of his fellow adventurer's turmoil.

At the center of the dark room stood Aqua, shrouded in the faint light of her purification circle.

Seeing this, the shinobi was hit by a massive wave of nostalgia.

'…That's right. This is kind of like the night I first saw Aqua, isn't it?'

Naruto thought back to that night when he was hiding from that Zombie Maker. A beautiful girl had shown up and purified the ghost with an elegance that he had never even thought possible for a human being.

Unlike the usual bratty girl he had come to know, Aqua's expression was calm and radiated a divinity befitting that of a goddess as she purified the Lich. On her face was the gentlest of smiles that had a hint of sadness. It reminded him of the smile that Eris had when he had died.

But the deific figure standing before him was not the Goddess of Luck. This was the real Aqua, the Goddess of Water.

Naruto clenched his vest above his heart.

What was this feeling? His chest felt tight, and his face was hot.

'… **Tch! You've fallen hard for that self-proclaimed goddess, haven't you brat?'**

Kurama spat while rolling his eyes hard enough that the beast's host could almost hear its massive orbs.

The fox decided to have a nice long chat with Eris about the part of Naruto's brain that was likely left behind when she transported them to this world.

'Ah… So that's what this is…'

With the help of his nine-tailed companion's _kind_ words, Naruto realized he might just have a crush on Aqua.

* * *

 **A/N: Oho~! Kazuma, ma boi! You aren't doing your job correctly!**

 **T/N: Umm, Kurama, please hurry up and have that chat. I keep begging the author for Naruto to get that part of his brain back, but he declines, saying that a more mature Naruto wouldn't work. :C**

 **A/N: Fuahahaha! See you in the next one!**


	58. Debt Cleared!

**A/N: Thank you zubhanwc3 for editing this chapter!**

* * *

Just outside of Keele's Dungeon, stood two girls a couple feet apart from each other. They seemed to be having a faceoff, each not moving a muscle as they waited for their opponent to move.

"You're still the monster I remember you to be, Cecily-Nee… But I won't lose this time!"

"Just hearing you call me Cecily-Nee amplifies my power tenfold!"

It was nearing the evening, and Megumin decided that she was tired of being treated like a doll by Cecily. So, she challenged the older girl to a duel.

The loser would have to do whatever the winner demanded.

Megumin would obviously place a restraining order on this deranged woman, but if she lost… No, it was best not to think of such scary things.

A bead of sweat made its way down the Crimson Demon's cheek. It rolled down to her chin and fell, passed her staff, towards the grass at her feet.

The moment the droplet hit the ground-

"You're mine-!"

"Manifest, my madness-!"

"AAAAHHHH!" x2

Before the two girls could even move, Aqua and Kazuma exploded from the dungeon's entrance before collapsing onto the ground.

Megumin and Cecily gave each other a look and decided to put their match on hold. Walking up to the collapsed duo, Megumin poked Kazuma's back with her staff as if she were checking to see if he was still alive.

Aqua seemed fine, other than the fact she was crying. But that much was normal.

Noticing the rather heaving-looking sack on Kazuma's back, Megumin assumed that the dungeon exploration was a success. But one thing seemed out of place, and the way Kazuma was averting his gaze didn't sit well with her stomach.

"Where's Naruto?"

"We were attacked by an overwhelming number of monsters on our way out… Naruto sacrificed himself so that Aqua and I could escape with the loot."

Kazuma muttered through gritted teeth as he covered his eyes with a quivering arm.

Megumin's eyes drooped. There was no way that somebody who could go toe-to-toe with the Winter Shogun and blow up the Mobile Fortress Destroyer would lose to a couple of monsters in a low-level dungeon.

But before Megumin had the chance to retort, Cecily fell to her knees.

"No way… How could my darling perish in a dungeon and leave me behind… and without leaving any life insurance for me to collect!?"

"What a horrible thing to say! Actually, does this world even have life insurance!?"

Kazuma jumped to his feet and barked. He had almost forgotten that Naruto also had his own share of troublesome characters to deal with.

No, wait. Dust was no longer in his party, so that was one less idiot he had to deal with. Plus, he still had that cute mage, Yunyun.

…Hang on, didn't Naruto have it rather good compared to him? Just that mage alone would make all the pain that Kazuma had to go through in this world worth it.

"Oi… Why are you looking at me like you got the sour candy out of a mystery pack? Is there something that you'd like to say to your party member?"

Megumin growled when Kazuma's expression towards her twisted into a rather distasteful one.

"Ah! Something's coming out of the dungeon! Did a monster get passed Naruto!?"

Just then, Aqua scrambled to her feet and hid behind Kazuma while pointing towards the entrance to Keele's Dungeon.

At the mouth of the dungeon, a slumped shadow slowly made its way into the light. Its crimson colored legs stepped out first, followed by its blood-stained torso, bringing forth the stench of blood.

Without a doubt, a monster was making its way out of the cave.

" _Kukuku… Hehehe…"_

The red figure's ominous laughter sounded out.

This triggered a series of reactions from the group.

"Waaaah! Kazuma-San! Do something!"

"D-don't worry, Aqua-Sama! Kazuma-San and I will protect you!"

"I-it's okay if I blow it up, right? Right!?"

Aqua, Cecily, and Megumin wailed as the monster continued to come into the light.

"H-hey, let go, Aqua! Cecily! Don't hide behind me while you say that! Also, stop chanting Explosion Megumin! Are you trying to kill us all!?"

Even in the face of such a horrifying creature, Kazuma couldn't help but shout at his group for their irrational behavior and word choice.

'Though I say that, I don't know what to do… Aqua and Cecily are useless in a fight, and the monster's too close for Megumin's Explosion…'

What was keeping Naruto so long!? Did he really bite the dust in there?

'…Huh?'

Just as Kazuma was about to bank everything on Naruto, he noticed something strange about the crimson monster. Its head just came out and into the light, revealing the "monster's" rather goofy expression.

"Naruto?"

The moment the shinobi's name left Kazuma's mouth, the rest of the group stopped freaking out for a second, if only to get a closer look.

"Oh! It is Naruto! Why are you all covered in blood? You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Aqua shouted when she saw that it was in fact, Naruto. The boy was covered head-to-toe in monster blood, gore, and other unspeakable things.

"Hehe… Sorry. Are you alright, Aqua-Chan? I took care of all the scary monsters."

Naruto said while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, his blood-soaked hair making a sloshing sound as he did.

'Stop it! That's too gross! Wait… _Chan_?'

Kazuma grimaced at the sound Naruto's hair was making when he suddenly realized the strange honorific that the boy had added to his party's useless Arch Priest.

"Oh, looks like you managed to carry the treasure Keele gave us-"

"Please don't come any closer. You smell worse than toad slime."

Megumin suddenly interjected the shinobi and put a hand up to emphasize her words, with Aqua plugging her nose and nodding her head behind her.

Naruto stopped and looked at his red-stained cloths when his eyes suddenly widened. A feral grin growing on his face, an idea forming in his head.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me. Yunyun was telling me you two had a competition the other day."

"Geh…!"

The Crimson Demon flinched when Naruto suddenly brought up something unnecessary.

"Yeah… I recall her telling me that you challenged her to a martial arts contest after saving you guys from some toads. You were covered in toad slime at the time, so Yunyun forfeited the match, but..."

"…"

Megumin averted her gaze, beads of sweat trailed down her face as the shinobi inched closer and closer. She turned to Kazuma for support but was quick to find that her party leader would give her no such thing.

'You reap what you sow.'

Kazuma thought, his expression more than enough for the girl to comprehend his intent.

. . .

"Revenge for Yunyun!"

"NOOOOO! STAY AWAY FROM MEEEEE!"

* * *

Naruto and Megumin decided to wash off the monster guts to avoid standing out too much, before heading back to town. Once they had arrived, of course, Megumin and Aqua had insisted on going to the bathhouse first, so Kazuma went to the guild alone to turn in their loot while the rest properly washed up.

"Why'd you come with me? I'd expect that you wouldn't miss the opportunity to bathe with Megumin."

Kazuma asked Cecily, who was standing next to him as they waited for Luna to measure their loot's value.

"Unfortunately, I was banned from entering the bath with Megumin after what happened _last time_. As to why I came with Kazuma-San, well, someone has to make sure our share is evenly distributed~!"

Cecily chirped with her tongue sticking out playfully.

'Even though you didn't even do anything…'

Kazuma thought with thin lips. But he was curious about that ' _last time_ ' she mentioned. Perhaps he should bribe her with a larger share…

"Alright! I have successfully evaluated your haul, Kazuma-San. Including your quest's reward, along with the treasure you brought back, after the guild service fees, of course, your total amount comes to about two and a half million Eris!"

Luna declared and placed a ticket regarding their reward amount onto the counter.

"T-two and a half…!?"

Kazuma stuttered and swiped the ticket off the counter to confirm the amount. This was almost enough pay off the rest of their debt, and in one quest too!

"We look forward to your continued service, adventurers!"

Luna said with a formal bow before walking off to resume her daily duties, leaving the shell-shocked Kazuma gawking in the middle of the reception stalls.

'T-two… Ah! But wait! How is that gold-digging Aqua clone going to react!?'

Kazuma thought and turned to sneak a peek at the Axis Cultist. But to his surprise, Cecily was simply standing next to him with a gentle smile on her face. Honestly, this girl sure was cute… Just like Aqua. If only their personalities weren't so twisted. It was a complete waste.

"…You're not thinking about convincing me to give you a bigger share?"

"Of course not. Megumin and I didn't do anything, right?"

Cecily responded while tilting her to the side.

Kazuma continued to eye her, but oh well. If she didn't have any ulterior motive, then that was fine-

"But it goes without saying that Aqua-Sama and Naruto-San should receive most of the reward. I'm fairly confident that they did most of the work, no?"

"!"

Kazuma felt like slapping this priestess in the face.

Who was she to make such baseless allegations!? Sure, Naruto and Aqua killed most of the monsters…

But they were also the reason the monsters attacked in the first place!

"W-why does it matter to you if Aqua and Naruto get a bigger share anyway?"

That's right! This woman didn't gain a thing provoking him like this!

"My mission is to make sure Aqua-Sama can live a carefree life. Having money definitely brings one happiness, wouldn't you agree? Also, if Naruto-San also has a lot of money, then I will be able to live a carefree life as he takes care of both of us for the remainder of our luxurious days~!"

Cecily blurted out her true intentions while clasping her rosy cheeks and muttering things like 'darling!' and such.

"…"

Once again, Kazuma was at a loss for words. Was this woman alright in the head? No, wait. Did that mean that she knew about Aqua's true identity?

'I guess it doesn't really matter… The Axis Cult probably plans to just observe Aqua quietly.'

But at least he didn't have to worry about a mob of crazy cultists chasing after him anytime soon.

"Hey Kazuma, how'd we do?"

Naruto asked as he, Megumin, and Aqua walked up to the receptionist stalls where Kazuma and Cecily were still standing. Instead of his adventuring attire, Naruto sported his old orange pants and a casual white shirt.

Deciding to show off, Kazuma smirked and rubbed his chin gleefully.

"Heh… Two and a half million."

"!" x3

The newcomers' jaws dropped upon learning of their absurdly large reward.

—A few minutes later…

"Another drink for the lady!"

"Yay!"

Naruto shouted while waving his hands in the air to catch a waitress's attention, and Aqua cheered from her spot beside him. The two of them were currently dancing on one of the tables, celebrating the success of their quest with an ever-growing crowd encompassing them.

With the money that Naruto and Yunyun had been collecting the past couple days, they had already earned about half of Cecily's debt alone, and with the rewards from their recent adventure, they managed to pay off the debt and still had a decent amount for each of them to split.

Thus, it was time for a celebration, as they were now debt-free!

It was too bad that Dust had gone on a quest-Er, more like was forced to go. Naruto wanted to brag about the loot that they had scored on their quest, but Lynn said that Dust still owed her money, so she forced Dust to join her and the rest of their party for a quest.

It was quite the comical show as Dust was pretty much dragged out of the guild by his party members as Naruto started the party.

"Can I have some too? Can I?"

Megumin asked with upturned eyes since Aqua and Darkness never allowed her to drink any alcohol back at the mansion. Maybe Naruto would let her have some since he had drunken a few himself.

"Hehe… nope! A little brat like you wouldn't be able to… Hic! Handle such strong stuff!"

Naruto knelt and snatched the girl's hat so he could ruffle her hair, much to the mage's annoyance. It wasn't hard to tell that the shinobi was drunk, but he still wouldn't allow such a young kid to drink.

"S-stop it! First, you cover me in god knows what after I pleaded you not to, and now you're going to treat me like a kid!?"

The Crimson Demon complained as she snatched her hat back after fixing her hair, earning a hearty laugh from the clearly drunk shinobi.

"Now now, Megumin… You'll be able to drink with Cecily and me when you get older~! Too bad Cecily had to go to the Axis church, but it's nice to have such a devoted child as a follower... Ah, more fried toad over here please!"

Aqua said with a flushed red face of her own before she proceeded to continue with her party tricks. She tossed a blue hand-fan over her shoulder and caught it on her heel before a spray of glistening water started squirting out from the object.

This seemingly impossible trick caused an uproar in the crowd.

"S-sniff…! You're going to order more of that stuff!? How cruel, Aqua-Chan! Those poor toads probably had families!"

Naruto sniffled, his drunken mood taking a sudden turn. Aqua angled the fan on her foot to make it look like the water was pouring out of the blonde's eyes, earning a roar of laughter from their audience.

"Don't talk nonsense, Naruto. Here, you should try some! The meat is a little tough, but it's delicious!"

Kazuma held a fried leg out to his friend. Usually, he'd be asking how Aqua was spraying water out of a paper fan, but he was just too drunk and happy to care right now.

"I can't…! It's just too sad!"

Naruto wailed and covered the tears that were now raining from his eyes.

During that moment, the doors to the guild opened as a tired looking mage with singed twin-tails dragged herself inside.

Dragging herself to the reception stalls with a trail of smoke following behind, the girl carefully placed a large sack onto the desk.

"Quest… Complete. Ten salamander eggs…"

"Thank you very much, Yunyun. With these salamander eggs, our mage crafters will be able to use the shells to make fine heating magic items for the larger buildings in town."

Luna said with a formal bow. With the adventurers still having their reward money from the Dullahan reward, the number of salamander eggs being retrieved essentially became zero, which meant that the quest givers, the magic item makers, couldn't make decent heating magic items for indoor use.

"Honestly… Without you and Naruto-San doing all these quests during the winter, we might have been in trouble this year. I truly appreciate all your help."

"N-no! It was no trouble at all! I was lucky and found a large nest right away! It only took longer than I thought because I was surprised when there were so many Salamanders breathing fire at me at once! But it all turned out well in the end!"

Yunyun panicked and tried to dismiss the kind receptionist's apologies. But her words only spurred the older woman to bow even more frantically for some reason.

"Hey… Hic! Is that Yunyun? It is! Yunyun! Come join us and have a… Hic! Drink! It's on me!"

Naruto shouted from across the hall, and Yunyun turned around to find her party leader locked arms with Aqua and Kazuma while dancing on a table.

"Hey! You'd let Yunyun drink but not me!? But we're the same age!"

Megumin fumed while pointing to her 'self-proclaimed' rival.

Naruto and Kazuma stopped dancing and looked at one another, then looked at Megumin, then at Yunyun, before looking back at Megumin and tilted their heads.

"Huh? What are you talking about? Yunyun clearly looks older than Megumin."

"Yeah, Yunyun's more mature and doesn't have a screw loose."

"Alright, you two. Come step outside with me for a moment. I'll show you what it means to have a screw loose."

Megumin said and started pulling Naruto and Kazuma towards the door, only to be caught in a chokehold by Naruto, who proceeded to ruffle her hair again.

"W-what's going on? Why are you celebrating?"

Yunyun stuttered as she walked up to the table. She decided to pretend that she didn't hear the boy's comments regarding her appearance, figuring that she could always brag about it later. Though, it felt good to see Megumin's tomato-red face as she squirmed in the shinobi's arms.

"We're debt free!" x2

Naruto and Kazuma shouted in unison, arms wrapped around the other's shoulder.

"Eh!?"

Yunyun's surprised voice rang over the crowd's cheers, and she turned three shades darker when everyone started laughing at her.

She learned from Luna that Naruto went on a quest with Kazuma's party while she was sleeping, but they managed to pay off Cecily's debt!?

Last she was aware of, they were about half-way there with all the quest she and Naruto had been doing together… Just what kind of job did they complete!?

Seeing the gaping expression on her fellow Crimson Demon's face, Megumin smirked and slipped out of Naruto's death-grip.

"Heh… That's right! We went to a dungeon and slew a powerful Lich!"

"Oh, well Megumin was probably deadweight then. After all, Explosion magic is useless in a dungeon. Cecily-San was with you, yes? Megumin was probably used to keep Cecily from sneaking off while Naruto-San and the rest went into the dungeon."

"Guh…!?"

Two arrows with the words 'deadweight' and 'useless' written on them stabbed into Megumin's head and heart respectively as Yunyun casually deducted the little girl's activities during the quest.

'Wow… I almost feel bad for her.'

Kazuma thought as he watched the mage of his party fell to her knees. But he had to hand it to Yunyun for seeing through Megumin's nonsense. As one would expect from childhood friends.

As Kazuma carried Megumin out of the way, Yunyun turned to Naruto who seemed to be sobering up.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me. I want to do something to thank you, Yunyun."

Naruto said with a foxlike grin, earning a confused look on the timid mage's face.

"Eh? T-thank me? For what?"

"You know, for joining my party, keeping Wiz company, and helping out with Cecily's debt. Well, that and I feel bad about forgetting about you those times…"

"Huh? What did you say at the end?"

Yunyun asked and tilted her head in confusion when she failed to hear the last bit of the blonde's sentence.

"N-nothing! So? Is there anything you want me to do? It can be anything! I swear on my ninja way that I'll do it!"

Naruto stuttered while laughing awkwardly.

Yunyun turned away from the cackling shinobi to weigh her options.

'I-if Naruto-San is willing to do anything, then… I-I can ask him to go on a date with Wiz-San!'

With the number of quests that they'd been doing, Yunyun felt that Naruto and Wiz weren't spending enough time together, aside from when he was working at the shop.

'Ah… But there's going to be a festival tomorrow, and they say that the weather is going to be a little warmer…'

One of the entries on her "things I want to do with a friend" list was to go to a festival with a friend, and Wiz had mentioned something about going to the Crimson Magic Village tomorrow for new wares.

. . .

Wiz wouldn't mind if she went to the festival with Naruto, would she?

As friends, of course!

Naruto looked over the mage's shoulder in concern. She seemed to be troubled over something… Was she alright?

"Your face is a little red… Maybe we should take a break from quests tomor-"

"P-p-please join me at tomorrow's festival!"

* * *

Outside a certain mansion, just outside of Axel Town, two dark figures crept alongside the building's luxurious walls. One was wearing a revealing set of clothes that looked more like a bathing suit than anything, while the other wore a tattered orange jacket and seemingly nothing else below it.

"It's faint, but I can sense demonic energy coming from this mansion."

Morrigan whispered and began to weigh their options.

It was strange though, as the demonic signature was coming from below the surface. Perhaps a set of tunnels was built underneath the mansion?

"W-what should we do?"

Maria asked as she kept watch for the guards. If she was being honest with herself, the young devil felt that the only way that she'd be able to help was maybe putting the guards to sleep when they were spotted.

Infiltrating guarded buildings was not her forte, especially with how self-conscious the incident at the last mansion that she had visited had left her.

"We got the information we came for, so there's no use staying any longer. Now… Let us go back to Naruto-Sama and claim our reward~!"

"Yay!"

With that said, the pair of Succubi took to the air to return to the Town of Adventurers.

There was no doubt a powerful devil in that noble's mansion, but what would their master do with this information? Would he storm the corrupt noble's mansion and slay him outright? Or would torture him first? No, maybe he would strip the bastard and present him to the town before executing him right then and there!

The endless possibilities made Morrigan squirm midflight.

'Ahn~! Naruto-Sama~!'

While the older devil's mind continued to wander into the abyss, Maria glanced at the orange and black jacket she was wearing and beamed.

'I wonder if Naruto-Sama will pat me on the head again…'

* * *

 **A/N: Naruto and Kazuma are now debt-free!**

 **But what does this Wonderful World have in store for them next? Also, where's Darkness!? Just what is our favorite M up to?**

 **See you in the next one!**


	59. A Festival for These Two Loners

**A/N: Thank you zubhanwc3 for editing this chapter!**

* * *

Naruto, wearing a casual white shirt and orange pants, met Yunyun at the park around noon. He found her standing by a lamp post in her usual outfit, which consisted of a black blouse and pink skirt.

The Crimson Demon was watching the numerous amounts of people walking in groups with a lonely expression, but her face brightened immensely upon seeing the shinobi's bright yellow hair.

"Hey, Yunyun! Did you wait long?"

Naruto asked as he walked up to the girl.

"N-no, I just got here!"

Yunyun lied while nervously shaking her hands out in front of her face.

The truth was, she had been waiting there all morning. Naruto had originally suggested walking together the day before, seeing as they were right next door to each other at the same inn, but the younger girl didn't want to be a bother, so she insisted on meeting up later.

In the end, they agreed to meet at the park at noon; however, Yunyun became too anxious in her room and ended up leaving early.

"Oh, okay. Let's go check out the stalls then!"

"O-okay…"

With that said, the two set off to enjoy the festival.

While it wasn't necessarily a holiday today, the townsfolk were celebrating the recent increase in Axel's financial standing.

With the back-to-back defeat of high bounty targets, the Dullahan and the Destroyer, the town of beginners had gained quite an economic boost, so the roads were filled various stands for food and games alike.

There was even a happy street performer doing tricks to earn money from tips on the side of the road.

Yunyun found out about the upcoming celebration from an old lady whose fruit stand she frequented.

Of course, it was only because of Naruto's persistence in paying her back that Yunyun managed to build up the courage to invite him the previous day.

'Ugh… I should have just agreed to walk to the park with Naruto-San from the inn. It probably would have been easier that way… In the end, I'm just causing Naruto-San more problems…'

Yunyun thought with a depressed look growing on her features. She had been so nervous about causing Naruto trouble, that she even skipped breakfast.

'Ah… those meat kababs look tasty…'

Yunyun's thoughts became driven by her growing hunger when she noticed a kabab stand, but she quickly shook her head. She didn't want to bother Naruto after making him walk all the way to the park just to meet up with her. Besides, what if he wasn't hungry?

Seeing the troubled face that the mage was making, Naruto followed her gaze to the kabab stand. The steam coming from the grill was basically reflected off her crimson orbs, it was almost too pitiful to watch.

"Two please!"

"Right away!"

After ordering the kababs, Naruto walked back to the wide-eyed Yunyun and held one of the sticks out to her.

It took a little convincing, but the boy managed to get her to accept his treat, and the two ate together on the side of the road.

Tossing his stick to the side, the shinobi pumped his fist into the air enthusiastically.

"Alright! Let's go check out some of the other games-"

Grrrrr!

"…"

Yunyun lowered her gaze as she held her stomach, the tips of her ears burning bright red.

"…Wanna get some more snacks first?"

Naruto asked while scratching at his whisker marks, and the response from the blushing girl was a small nod.

* * *

After eating at a couple more food stalls, Naruto and Yunyun passed by some of the games that the townsfolk had set up. There was quite a few to choose from, but Yunyun had her eyes set on one particular stall that had a unique prize available.

After the Yunyun tried and failed a couple times, Naruto rolled up his sleeves before stepping up to the plate.

But…

"I always knew we'd have our rematch… But I wasn't expecting it to be so soon! Take this!"

"Sorry sir, that's another miss!"

"How!?"

The Winter Shogun, or more specifically, a doll in the shape of the high bounty monster.

To earn the doll, one had to shoot the prize with a toy bow and arrow. But…

"Urg… Why did it have to be a bow and arrow? Mister! I want another go!"

Naruto demanded yet another retry, and the happy stall owner handed the blonde an arrow for the umpteenth time. Had it been a knife or rock throwing game, he would have had it on the bag. But a bow!?

"I-it's okay, Naruto-San! Let's go try our luck in another game!"

Yunyun pleaded as Naruto tried and failed again, but the shinobi refused to back down and asked the stall owner for another go.

"Sorry Yunyun, but this one's personal. Plus, I know how much you want this prize. What kind of friend would I be to give up now!?"

"That sounded very cool just now but spending twenty-thousand Eris on a festival game is too much!"

—After ten or more tries, Naruto finally managed to hit the Winter Shogun doll.

"H-heh… Next time I see the real Winter Shogun, I'm going to go berserk…"

Naruto exasperated while dangling his now nearly empty wallet in front of his face. Now he only had five-hundred Eris left… But looking back and seeing how happy Yunyun was clutching the Winter Shogun doll to her chest made the struggle worth it.

'Now what am I going to do… I spent a lot of money on Aqua during last night's party, so this is the rest of my cash… Five-hundred Eris…'

Just as Naruto was beginning to think about his financial state, a loud clanging noise echoed throughout the festival.

"That's too bad, another fail! Come on now, I heard this town was full of strong adventurers! Can no one break this rock!?"

The stall owner's loud voice berated the growing group of mostly adventurers. Another man with big muscles stepped up and took hold of the large hammer and swung it over his massive build.

Clang!

The impact rang loudly, but just like the last person, not a scratch was left on the shiny rock.

"Come now, people! I traveled to this town after hearing about the tales of a Demon King General falling here, as well as the Mobile Fortress Destroyer! Can no one truly destroy this block of adamantite? I'll even allow the use of magic!"

The stall owner shouted as the previous player grumbled off the stage, causing the adventurers to mutter amongst themselves. It was quite obvious that the man was just poking at their pride to earn a quick buck, but it was frustrating that no one was able to destroy such a small rock.

"Hey Yunyun, he said you can use magic. Why don't you give it a try with your Advanced Magic?"

Naruto suggested, but the girl shook her head.

"I can't break adamantite with my current power… Maybe if I had the powerful Detonation magic, which is a tier lower than Explosion magic. Though Explosion magic would be ludicrous to use in this situation."

Yunyun explained while smiling wryly, a certain mage with a screw loose coming to mind.

Then, the spokesman announced the current prize amount.

"Just five-hundred Eris for a chance to smash this rock and earn the grand prize of one-hundred thousand Eris!"

. . .

"…Follow me, Yunyun."

Naruto said and began to make his way through the crowd, with Yunyun following closely behind.

What were the odds of the entry fee being exactly how much he had left? It was like the gods had set up this scenario just for him… Which was ironic since he was friends with Aqua and met Eris.

He'd have to thank Eris later for Blessing him with this stroke of good luck.

"Hey, isn't that…?"

"Yeah, it's Naruto Uzumaki and his Crimson Demon partner!"

"Damn it! I knew I should have tried smashing that rock! Now it's done for!"

With each person he passed, a series of whispers began to rise within the crowd until he was finally at the stall.

Placing the remainder of his cash in the rather unimpressed stall owner's hand, Naruto grabbed the sledgehammer with both hands.

At the same time, the adventurers all began to huddle their way behind Yunyun. They knew first-hand just how destructive Naruto could be at this point, and they also knew that the Crimson Demon girl that was with him had the power to shield them like she had during the battle with the Destroyer.

Seeing the crowd's strange formation, the stall owner raised an eyebrow as he continued to count his earnings.

Why were they hiding behind such a young girl? The boy didn't look all that strong…

Ah, now the little mage was putting up a barrier.

The stall owner thought before turning his gaze towards the whiskered teen, and his face lost all of its color.

Naruto's arms were encased in a red-like aura, his now-slit eyes a similar shade. With the feral grin the boy now had, he looked possessed.

It was at that moment that the businessman realized that he was facing the adventurer who was rumored to have soloed the Mobile Fortress Destroyer.

BOOM!

The hammer slammed onto the slab of adamantite with incredible force, jolting the surrounding people a few inches off the ground.

Yunyun, along with the people who were smart enough to hide behind her, watched as the dust flew right into her barrier and straight up into the sky.

Once the rumbling was over, Yunyun dropped her barrier and followed up with an intermediate wind spell to carry all the dust towards the town's outer walls.

The stall owner, who had all but dove behind his stand at the last second, opened his eyes to see that his stand was now gone.

'T-the rock…!'

To the surprise of nobody, the slab of adamantite was split straight right down the middle... Along with the hammer and earth beneath it.

"Hehe… Now I don't have to worry about money for the next couple of days!"

Snatching the cash from the shaking man's hands, Naruto proudly held the money into the air.

' **You did not just use my chakra to win a festival game…'**

Kurama grumbled with a deadpanned expression, but Naruto was too busy absorbing his audience's praises to hear the fox's complaints.

As the adventurers cheered for the shinobi's victory, Yunyun released a sigh. It took her all just to defend the adventures from the aftermath of the skills that Naruto had used against the Destroyer, so she was relieved he held back here.

Then, just as Naruto had made his way back to Yunyun, a familiar wizard's hat poked out of the crowd. It was followed by a small hand as the owner struggled to break through the rowdy crowd.

"W-wait a minute! Let me have a go! I guarantee I can break the Adamantite way better than he did! My magic was made for situations like this!"

Megumin begged the weeping stall owner when she managed to get through.

"!"

Yunyun and Naruto's eyes bulged out of their skulls when they saw the girl begin to chant and immediately pounced on her.

* * *

"Tch! Had I arrived at the scene sooner, I would have blown the socks off the crowd with my Explosion magic!"

"Along with a good portion of the town! Honestly, I wonder if the teachers back home had a couple of screws loose back then to call Megumin the prodigy of our clan! But they did get one thing right… Megumin is in a class of her own for stupidity!"

After restraining Megumin before she could finish her chanting, Naruto followed behind the two Crimson Demons as they bickered with one another.

"That's rich coming from the Crimson Demon's number one loner!"

Megumin said in a snarky tone while smirking at her self-proclaimed rival.

"I am not a loner! I-I just so happen to be walking around this festival with my f-f-friend!"

Yunyun shot back and showed off the doll she was holding and gestured towards Naruto. The blonde waved sheepishly as he was 'presented.'

Megumin stared at Naruto and Yunyun for a couple seconds before finally saying:

"So? How much did she pay you?"

"Ah! She actually said it!"

Yunyun wailed before pouncing on top of Megumin with teary eyes, the Winter Shogun doll flying up and into the air.

Naruto chuckled to himself as he watched the two mages wrestle. No matter how much those girls denied it, they really got along well.

"There you are Megumin! When I heard that some mage almost used Explosion magic in the middle of town, I almost had a heart attack!"

The shinobi turned to see Kazuma running towards them from the direction of the game stalls. He looked rather stressed out and had to catch his breath once he made it over to them. The poor guy must have been desperately running around the festival looking for explosive time-bomb.

"Kazuma, your mage is giving my mage a hard time. She almost blew us up earlier, too."

Naruto said in a monotone voice while pointing at Megumin, who had gotten the upper hand in the fight, somehow.

Megumin seemed rather pleased with herself for besting Yunyun in hand-to-hand once again, but her expression turned for the worse when she heard Naruto's accusations and found Kazuma staring down at her.

"W-wait a second! I had no choice! Naruto stole the spotlight once again, so I had to remind the crowd just how amazing Explosion magic is! Also, Yunyun seemed to be on a high horse just because she's walking around town with a boy, so I had to knock her down a few pegs!"

With each nonsensical excuse coming out of his teammate's mouth, Kazuma felt his urge to leave growing. It would be so easy to just go home and sleep and not have to worry about this problem child.

But he couldn't push all his problems onto Naruto, especially not after the guy just helped pay off his debts.

"I'm sorry for the trouble that my party member has caused you!"

Kazuma apologized while inclining his body towards Naruto and Yunyun, all the while forcing Megumin to bow alongside him when she simply huffed and turned the other way.

"I-it's okay! You don't have to bow, Kazuma-San! I-I know Megumin is probably just j-jealous…"

Yunyun stuttered while poking her fingers together. It was rather obvious that Megumin was jealous that Yunyun had gotten close enough to a boy to get gifts from him.

Hearing this caused a vein to bulge on Megumin's forehead, and she forced her way out of her party leader's hold.

"Heh… Me? Jealous of Yunyun? How childish… I don't get upset over such trivial things anymore. After all, Kazuma and I are at the point where we bath together."

"!?" x2

Yunyun and Kazuma gaped at the little girl, and both started sputtering nonsense for different reasons.

Megumin smirked to herself, albeit with a minor blush on her face since she was stretching the truth a bit.

"I-I-I-I-I can't believe Megumin-San already…! T-t-t-t-today's my looossss!"

It was Yunyun who was the first to break the cycle as she threw up her hands as if to indicate her defeat and took off screaming.

Naruto smiled wryly as his party member disappeared into the distance. It seemed Yunyun misunderstood something.

Oh well, he was thinking about calling it quits for the day before he ended up spending the money he had regained today anyway.

"Context! You! Context! We both wanted to get the toad mucus off at the same time to avoid catching colds!"

Kazuma growled while pulling on Megumin's cheeks as punishment when he noticed Naruto watching them in amusement.

"W-what? You think I'm lying?"

"Hm? I mean, not really. Megumin's just a kid."

Naruto said with an honest shrug.

Kazuma sweatdropped. He wasn't sure if Naruto's denseness was a blessing or a curse. But right now, he couldn't have been more relieved.

"A kid, he says… Heh… Haha…"

On the other hand, Megumin had a small raincloud looming over her head at once again being called a kid.

She may have won today's battles with Yunyun, but at what cost?

"God… Why am stuck with dealing with all these troublesome people?"

Kazuma complained while pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Ah, that reminds me. Kazuma, has Darkness come home yet? She's been gone for a couple days, since the trial, hasn't she?"

Naruto asked his fellow adventurer when he realized the blonde Crusader had yet to make an appearance. He should be getting information from Maria and Morrigan tonight, but he wanted to check in with Kazuma to see if Darkness had ever come home.

"Oh yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that. I'm kind of worried about that girl. That noble was giving her weird looks all throughout the trial, and she owes him a favor for getting us out of that mess…"

Kazuma responded worriedly. For as much trouble as that woman caused him, she wasn't nearly as bad as Aqua and Megumin… Most of the time. Since she did save him and Naruto during the trial, it wouldn't sit well with him if she was in trouble with that corrupt noble.

"If she doesn't come home tonight, I was thinking about going to her family's manner. I'll let you know tomorrow."

Kazuma added, and Naruto nodded. They couldn't just ignore the fact that Darkness had been gone for so long, so it was time to take action.

"…"

Standing across the street was Yunyun hiding behind a corner, a lonely expression on her face as she continued to watch Naruto interact with Kazuma and Megumin.

* * *

 **That Night…**

Naruto walked up the stairs to his inn room, his arms swaying side to side tiredly. He was exhausted.

After he and Kazuma finalized their plans regarding Darkness, they discovered Aqua had brought a street performer to tears when she started doing better party tricks for free.

After apologizing to the street performer, Naruto and Kazuma's group went their separate ways for the day.

'I never found Yunyun in the end… I hope she had fun today.'

Naruto was in the middle of unlocking his door when he heard a silent sobbing noise coming from inside his room.

Resisting the urge to groan, he slowly opened the door and peaked his head inside.

Sitting on his bed was Cecily, and she quietly weeping into her hands.

"…"

Naruto frowned. On his way back to the inn, he overheard some people complaining about the Axis Cultists again. Maybe she couldn't handle the townspeople's attitude towards her for being an Axis Cultist anymore?

Either way, seeing the girl crying alone on his bed like that really tugged on his heartstrings.

"Hey, it's okay Ceci-"

"Waahhh! I can't believe they confiscated all that Tokoroten Slime! I spent the last of-

Cecily suddenly cried out just as Naruto fully walked in, and the ninja clamped his mouth shut as a look of disdain overtook his features.

Having noticed the boy's arrival, Cecily jumped off the bed and attached herself onto his torso.

"Ah! Naruto-Saaaan! They confiscated the rest of my Tokoroten Slime! I even spent the rest of the reward money from the other day on it!"

"…Oi. I was just feeling sorry for you, ya know? Give me back those feelings."

Naruto muttered, his expression turning sour.

"Huh? What are you talking about? That doesn't matter right now, they have my Tokoroten Slime! Can you use the fact that you saved the town to get it back for me? Pleeeease?"

Cecily asked with a legit look of confusion on her face before she started pleading while leaning her body into the boy.

Naruto remained unresponsive. He had a beautiful girl pressing her curvaceous figure onto him, yet he felt nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"If you get my Tokoroten Slime back, I'll hand feed you some-No! I'll let you eat it off my voluptuous body! Hey-wait… Why are you pushing me outside? The bed's back there! Naruto-Saaaa-!"

Slam!

After pushing the woman out of his room, Naruto slammed the door shut before locking it and propping a chair against the knob.

"N-Naruto-San? I can't open the door for some reason… Ah! I can sense it! The vile smell of a devil is close by! Naruto-Saaaaan!"

Ignoring the muffled screaming outside his door, Naruto yawned and started walking towards his bed with sleepy eyes.

'That's enough for one day… Huh?'

Resting his head on his pillow, Naruto closed his eyes in hopes of getting a good night's rest. But what he didn't expect when he opened his eyes was to see a smiling pair of pearly whites.

"Good evening, Naruto-Sama… Would you like the information before or after?"

* * *

 **A/N: Hoho, Succubus Onee-San… After what you say? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

 **The next arc begins!**


	60. Sweet Dreams Before the Storm

**A/N: Thank you zubhanwc3 for editing this chapter!**

* * *

Hello all! Axel's second most beautiful and talented priestess, Cecily here! Second only to Lady Aqua herself. Obviously.

Life in the Town of Newbie Adventurers has been a lot more fun than I had anticipated. At first glance, this place is a dump full of weaklings and nasty Eris cultists. I mean, what would one expect by comparing the town to the Wonderful city of Alcanretia?

Anyways, my whole world was turned upside down by a handsome young man with blonde hair and blue eyes. Such features are uncommon in this kingdom and tended to be of nobles. Couple this information with the fact the boy was wearing expensive-looking armor and also wielded a magic sword, he was obviously of noble lineage. I vowed to Lady Aqua that I would not let him escape!

But he escaped.

I was devastated! My life of luxury was in peril! I prayed day and night to my goddess for a second chance at finding happiness!

And then-! Just as I was beginning to lose hope, I met another handsome young man with blonde hair and blue eyes. My prayers had been answered!

The moment our eyes met; I knew it was meant to be. It was love at first sight! Seeing him run away from me with a speed I had never seen before only sealed the deal.

" _I must make this boy mine!"_

Such thoughts floated around in my jumbled mind as my heart ached for this boy. I swore to my goddess that I wouldn't let this second chance go to waste… and so, using all my resources to achieve my goal I-

Received a debt of Four-Million Eris.

Stingy old man. Didn't he know that I was using his five-star restaurant to host our wedding for the good of the Axis Cult? I'm glad I replaced all the napkins with Tokoroten Slime wrappers before fleeing from the city.

But the debt proved to be useful in the end. After following the boy to his hometown, I learned that he had a bleeding heart! For reasons I cannot begin to comprehend, he felt partially responsible for my completely unreasonable debt and offered me a place in his adventuring party!

How lucky!

Being an adventurer may not suit a delicate lady such as myself, but I knew that I would be safe in my soon-to-be husband's protection. I was even reunited with my cute little lolis, Megumin and Yunyun~!

Of course, it wasn't all rainbows since then, and I've had my fair shares of trouble. Like the other delinquent in our party who was a good for nothing being bait(thank goddess he recently quit), and the pesky Succubi who keep trying to seduce my man! I have to put up a barrier around the entire inn every night to protect his purity, which makes all the male occupants really angry with me for some reason.

Oh, and then there was the time that the handsome young man with the magic sword dared to show his face to me again. That man had the gall to make all sorts of outrageous accusations about my fiancé and even went as far as to claim that he would rescue me.

Don't get me wrong, I loved having two men fighting over me. But if he liked me so much, then he should have put a ring on it!

Luckily, that pitiful boy with a hero complex was swiftly dealt with, but before my beloved could take home the spoils of war(me), the town was attacked by the Mobile Fortress Destroyer of all things!

Getting in the way of my love… This must be the work of the evil goddess Eris herself!

After my beloved took care of the Destroyer, he was arrested and prosecuted for being a demon for whatever reason. I made sure to play my part in his defense like any devoted fiancé would, but in the end, it all came down to Darkness. I wonder if she's interested in my man too…

After the trial's conclusion, I was hard at work at trying to get back at Eris for getting in the way of my love conquest by venting my frustrations on the windows of the Eris churches in the city.

…What? They have plenty of buildings to spare.

Lately, Lady Aqua has been coming over to play every day. With the yummy bowl of noodles that my beloved calls "ramen," my days were beginning to become quite leisurely.

That man should really just marry Lady Aqua already. He's already taking care of us, so he might as well make it official so he can enjoy the _benefits_ of having such a beautiful wife. I would even be the sexy mistress!

I thought those playful days would never end… But then my beloved came home one day and made us go on a quest. That day, I got to play with Megumin! Though for some reason, I can't shake off the feeling that I was in mortal peril at some point during our playtime. Oh well, I must have been imagining things.

That brings us to the present… You must be asking yourself: "What is the beautiful Cecily doing right now?".

Well, if you must ask-

* * *

"Naruto-San! Unlock the door this instant! How could you cheat on me with those disgusting devils!?"

Cecily shouted while banging on Naruto's door repeatedly, but the boy wouldn't answer. He must have been put under a spell by those two nasty devils! That had to be it! After all, why else would he be ignoring the words of his future wife!?

But the blasted door wouldn't open! Not even the spare key she had the innkeeper craft for her was working. Naruto must've changed the locks without her knowing… _again._

That silly boy, trying to keep her out like that. He needn't be so shy when receiving the affections of a kind Onee-San with a voluptuous figure. Not that she minded the shy act.

Only one thing left to do!

"Yunyun! Come quick! Naruto is in trouble!"

"W-what!? W-w-w-what happened!?"

Seeing as she couldn't get inside Naruto's room by herself, Cecily jumped to the door to her left and started banging on it. Yunyun quickly opened the door with wide eyes and asked what was going on.

"It's terrible! Naruto is being seduced by a pair of devious Succubus right now! Hurry, open his door with your magic so I can teach those bitches a lesson!"

Cecily commanded while cracking her knuckles in a way that very unbefitting of a priestess.

"Y-you're kind of scaring me, Cecily-San… But isn't that really bad?"

Yunyun meekly asked but started chanting her unlocking spell as she didn't want to further anger the Axis Cultist. Succubi were rather uncommon around the Crimson Demon Village, but she was aware that they were low-class devils who fed off the lifeforce of men by seducing them.

If they didn't act fast, Naruto might lose something very important!

 **(** _ **B/N: Yes, his ignorance/innocence.**_ **)**

'Ah, but wait… Unlocking someone's door with magic is a serious breach in one's privacy… Knowing Cecily-San, she might just be saying these things because Naruto-San changed the locks on her again…'

Yunyun thought and hesitated with her spell just as it was nearing its completion.

"H-hey… Stop! Don't take off my shirt-n-nooooo! Get off!"

Click!

Hearing the strange words from inside, Yunyun lost all hesitation and instantly finished her spell.

The moment the lock made the notable sound, Cecily kicked the door open and charged inside.

"How dare you seduce my man, devil scum! Let me show you the wrath of the Axis Cult!"

"Cecily!? How'd you get in!? I thought I changed the lock?"

Naruto, who was currently shirtless and pinned to his bed by a busty woman, looked towards the entrance of his room with wide eyes as Cecily barged in. His face the shade of his mother's hair, he quickly moved to confront the priestess before she could do anything drastic.

"Move, Naruto! Let me teach these homewreckers what it means to come between and man and woman!"

"Why are you acting like we're married!? Actually, how did you even get in?"

Using his body as a shield, Naruto intercepted all of Cecily's attempts to purify the Succubus behind him. That was when he noticed the shy mage peeking inside through the doorway.

'Ah, so that's how she got in…'

Resisting the urge to sigh, Naruto swiftly moved up to Cecily and grabbed her shoulders.

"!"

Surprised by the sudden embrace, Cecily ceased her purification spells. Tilting her head up, she almost melted in the eyes of the man staring down at her with a look so stern, yet passive at the same time. If he looked at her with such seriousness, she might actually fall for him right then and there!

"Cecily."

"Y-yes!?"

Cecily yelped in response when Naruto spoke, his eyes never leaving hers.

What was this? Was he about to say she was mistaken and declare his undying devotion to her!? Not that she would be surprised.

"Sorry, but stay put for a while… **Paralyze**!"

"Ngh!"

Feeling her body go stiff at the expense of Naruto's skill, Cecily fell to the floor with a light thud.

'When did he learn that skill… No, wait! What does he plan to do now that I can't resist!? Naruto, you naughty boy… You only had to ask! Not that this kind of play is bad either once in awhile…'

Cecily thought with flushed features while staring up at the boy with expectant eyes.

Naruto grimaced as he looked at the now blushing girl at his feet. Why was she breathing so heavily all of a sudden?

'Ah… I recognize those eyes…'

That's right, Cecily's face reminded him of Darkness. So she was into those kinds of things too, huh?

Releasing a heavy breath, Naruto turned to face Yunyun. The mage flinched upon meeting his gaze and immediately looked to the floor.

"I-I'm sorry for barging in… It's just Cecily-San said you were in trouble and-"

"Yunyun."

"!"

Yunyun's mouth clamped shut when Naruto suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder. Was she going to end up like Cecily too?

But instead of feeling the brunt of a Paralyze skill, she felt the boy move his hand from her shoulder to the top of her head.

"Do you trust me?"

"H-huh? Of course I trust Naruto-San, but… The Succubus…"

Surprised by the blonde's choice of words, Yunyun answered honestly and looked passed him and towards the two Succubus who were currently huddled up together in the corner of the room with frightened expressions.

"Ah…"

A pitiful sound came out of her mouth when she realized that Naruto wasn't in any danger in the slightest. Of course he wasn't. She would take his word on it and trust him.

"Good. I'll explain everything later, so for now, take this thing back to your room."

Naruto said and picked Cecily off the floor and placed the woman into Yunyun's arms.

"O-okay…"

Yunyun responded meekly and carried the Paralyzed priestess out of the room, but not before glancing back one last time to get a good look at the now relieved Succubus sitting on Naruto's bed.

She wasn't making a mistake, was she?

…No, she already decided she would trust Naruto. He wasn't the type of person who would give in to temptations. She would trust him! Trust!

* * *

'That was a close one… Thank god Yunyun is so understanding!'

Naruto clutched his beating heart after closing his door and locking it again.

But he was kind of glad Cecily barged in when she did… With Morgan on top of him like that, he felt the walls of his resistance slowly crumbling away. He might not be so lucky next time.

Interacting with these Succubi was getting dangerous. He'd have to start taking precautions.

"That mage was cute. Quite the innocent one, Naruto-Sama. Is she your type? Lucky you, Maria~."

Morrigan teased both Naruto and Maria, and the two heavily blushed.

"Ahem! Now that we don't have to worry about being interrupted, what did you two find out about Alderp?"

Clearing his throat, Naruto recovered his shirt that Morrigan had previously tossed to the side and put it back on.

The older Succubus pouted at her master's prudish behavior but proceeded to answer anyway.

"Alexei Barnes Alderp. That man definitely has a contract with a devil, and a high ranking one too. We couldn't get too close else risk provoking them in their territory."

"We also learned from rumors that he is an evil man. Corruption, perverseness, and squandering tactics; that man uses foul play to get whatever he wants."

Maria, still sporting Naruto's orange jacket, further revealed their findings on the corrupt noble.

Naruto frowned. Such a despicable man had the favor of Darkness and her family… It's been more than a couple days since the trial, but Darkness had yet to show up.

That wasn't a good sign.

"What's more is that Alderp is rumored to have proposed to Dustiness Ford Lalatina numerous times in the past, but her father interviended every time."

Morrigan added, causing Naruto's eyes to widen.

That would explain why Alderp had been staring at Darkness the whole time during the trial. The man was obsessed with her. But now she owed the corrupt noble a favor due to the trial…

'I hope she's okay…'

Naruto decided it was time to take action. If Darkness was still absent from Kazuma's mansion tomorrow, he'd go to the Dustiness home.

Darkness may have weird tastes, but she was still his friend, and he refused to turn his back on her!

"Neh~? Since we did as we were told, can we have our reward~?"

"Eh?"

Pulled out of his train of thought, Naruto made a strange sound when Morrigan suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself on his back.

Reward? Did he promise something like that?

Then again, asking them to go into enemy territory and not give them something in return would leave a bad taste in his mouth.

"…What do you want?"

"I-if it isn't too much to ask, can I keep Naruto-Sama's jacket a little longer…?"

Maria asked with hopeful eyes, catching the blonde off guard with such an innocent request.

"Oh, um… Sure. You did stitch it up, so I'm thankful for that, Maria-Chan."

Naruto said and pat the petite Succubus on the head affectionately, earning a delightful giggle.

'Two rewards for one mission… Yay!'

Maria grinned a toothy grin as she enjoyed the warm sensation of her master's hand on her head.

"Naruto-Sama, no fair~! Giving her a second reward like that… I demand equal treatment."

Morrigan complained in a pouty, yet playful manner.

Naruto gulped when he remembered he had a sultry Succubus on his back. Maria's childish antics almost distracted him from the real threat.

"F-fine… But nothing too physical, alright?"

Hearing the shinobi's words of approval, Morrigan flashed a grin befitting that of a devil.

* * *

 **The Next Day…**

' **Hahaha! You left without saying a word to your party members!'**

'How was I supposed to face Cecily and Yunyun… After doing _that_?'

' **While I may not know what you dreamt last night, I have a vague idea. That being said, I quite enjoy that Succubus's antics. It's quite refreshing compared to the Goddess of Annoyance and her lackey.'**

Naruto was walking down the streets of Axel gloomily.

Gloomy regret stained his features as he thought back-or rather, tired NOT to think back to the dreams Morrigan had influenced him to have. His nine-tailed fox companion had been laughing while adding snarky remarks the entire morning.

There was no escaping the dream, either, as when he tried to wake up, the Succubus would just put him back to sleep with her magic. Kurama refused to help, claiming it was revenge for keeping the seal locked tight for so long.

So all night, Naruto had been placed in various perverted situations with many different females that he was acquainted with, with no control over his body. He felt like a puppet on strings.

Though Aqua was excluded from all of this for some reason… and for some reason, it left him slightly disappointed.

Wait wait wait! That's enough of that! The more he recalled the dreams, the more he feared that he really was awakening something dark inside. It was like that night in Darkness's room all over again.

Shaking his head to clear out the chortled laughter in his mind, Naruto focused on the path in front of him.

Right now, he was on his way to Kazuma's mansion. With the information Morrigan and Maria had given him, there was no way he could ignore Darkness's situation anymore.

After a few minutes of walking to the far side of town, Naruto walked through the gates that lead to his friend's manner.

Just as he was about to knock, the door opened to reveal a familiar mop of blue hair.

"Oh, Naruto? What are you doing here so early?"

Aqua asked with childlike curiosity when her eyes suddenly narrowed in a teasing fashion.

"I was just about to head over, but don't tell me… You came to pick me up? What? Is it that lonely over at your place without me? I guess it's only natural, seeing as your only friends are me, that lonely mage, and that filthy lich who makes decent tea. It can't be helped. If you promise to join the Axis Cult and worship me three times a day, I'll move in with you."

"No thank you… and I have friends! Plenty, in fact! Most of them are just… Really far away. Also, don't talk about Wiz like that. You'll make her cry."

Naruto declined the instant Aqua made her offer and fumed when he realized she just called him friendless. That was far from the truth. He'd met plenty of people since coming to this world.

"Well if you're not here to pick me up, then why are you here?"

Now in a grumpy mood, Aqua crossed her arms under her chest and huffed. It seemed she wasn't going to let him in until she got her answer.

"Has Darkness come home at all since the trial?"

Maybe because it was so early in the morning, but it took Aqua a second to process his question. She scrunched her eyebrows and rubbed her chin in thought.

…Hey. Please don't forget about your comrades just because you haven't seen them in a couple days.

"Oh yeah, Darkness came by yesterday and said she was arranged to marry some noble's son."

"!"

Naruto's eyes bulged out of his sockets when Aqua suddenly said something outrageous. At the same time, the sound of someone spewing liquid out of their mouth could be heard from inside the mansion.

* * *

 **A/N: What will Naruto do now that he knows~?**

 **B/N: I wonder what dark things he's awakening. Sadism, or is it masochism?** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**


	61. Exploring this Rich Girl's Manner

**A/N: Thank you zubhanwc3 for editing this chapter!**

* * *

"Owowow! Stap pinthing my cheeths! I'm sowwy! Kasuma-Saaaan!"

Aqua pleaded as Kazuma stretched her cheeks up and down, causing her to make various humorous faces, but the boy didn't have the luxury to enjoy the girl's funny expressions.

"Darkness is being forced to marry that noble's son!? Why didn't you tell me!?"

Naruto angrily berated his fellow adventurer.

That's right. Darkness had shown up the previous day wearing such a fancy dress, that they had hardly recognized her and had revealed that she would be holding an arranged marriage meeting at the Dustiness household with Alderp's son.

Kazuma planned on withholding this information from Naruto for the obvious reason that he would most likely overreact and stir up trouble. After all, Naruto had that generic shonen protagonist vibe.

But Aqua instantly spilled the beans, which completely foiled Kazuma's plan of using Aqua to keep Naruto occupied today. He had even convinced her to make Naruto take her to a fancy restaurant with a long waiting list and everything.

Now Kazuma had a wailing goddess in his face and a screeching ninja at his back. This was definitely not a very fun morning.

"Megumin! Don't tell me you're okay with this too!"

Seeing as Kazuma was too occupied with Aqua to respond, Naruto turned his fury towards Megumin, who was currently cleaning the table that Kazuma was previously sitting at.

"Of course not! Darkness will be returning soon, so join us Naruto! Together, we will go to this marriage interview and firmly decline!"

Megumin declared with a thumbs up, earning a nod of approval from the shinobi.

'Oh no… I forgot how well these two resonated in situations like these. I need to find a way to get rid of Megumin before she gives Naruto any more ideas…'

Kazuma thought when a gasp came from the entrance of the mansion.

The group turned to see Darkness standing in the doorway wearing a similar dress to the one that she had worn the previous day, along with a massive blush on her face.

"Wh-wh-what's Naruto doing here!?"

The noblewoman asked, her flustered gaze fixated on the ninja.

'Hang on… What's with this cute/shy reaction? Is she like that because Naruto is seeing her in a dress? Why didn't she act like this around me, yesterday?'

Kazuma grumbled to himself while Naruto tilted his head to the side.

"Who are you?"

"!"

Darkness clenched her dress in response to Naruto's expected obliviousness, and Kazuma couldn't help but palm his face.

Of course Naruto wouldn't recognize Darkness since even her party members didn't recognize her when she was wearing such a fancy dress for the first time.

"I-I appreciate the forgetful play, but like I told Kazuma yesterday, now isn't the time for that!"

Darkness cried out with a half-happy, half-troubled smile.

"P-play…? Is that Darkness-What? H-hey! What are you doing Kazuma!?"

Right when Naruto recognized who the blushing woman was, he felt a pair of hands on his back, pushing him past the blushing girl and towards the door.

"Yes, this is our one and only Lalatina-"

"D-don't call me that!"

"-Now if you don't mind, our party needs to start planning our strategy."

Yup. Kazuma was going to pull _that_ card. The "this is our party, so you don't have anything to do with it" card. It was a cold move, especially since Naruto only wanted to help. But that was precisely why he needed to leave since Kazuma already had a plan. One that Naruto would most likely oppose.

Shonen protagonist, remember?

"W-wait! I want to help Darkness too! That Alderp guy is bad news! Let me come with!"

Naruto stuttered and gripped onto the door frame as Kazuma continued to push him out.

"Wait, you want to help? That's different than what Kazuma said yesterday…"

Darkness muttered, and all gazes turned towards the boy in question.

A cold sweat ran down Kazuma's neck as he felt the cold stares on his back.

Even Aqua, who had retreated to the couch next to the fireplace out of boredom of the conversation, was staring at him in disdain. She didn't have to know what was going on to understand that Kazuma had done something scummy again.

Kazuma's mind was racing.

Now they knew that he had made Darkness think that Naruto wouldn't be against the arranged marriage.

His reasoning? The ninja would likely think that a man with a good reputation like Alderp's son would do good for her weird personality.

But of course, this was just Kazuma's opinion, and why he planned to make this marriage interview a success no matter what. He was tired of having a perverted Crusader who couldn't land any attacks in his party! If Darkness went off and got married, then she would be forced to retire as an adventurer!

But everyone just keeps getting in the way!

"Kazuma, you…"

Just as Naruto was about to verbalize his thoughts, a shout came from outside of the mansion.

"Satou Kazuma! Is Satou Kazuma here?"

Taking advantage of the distraction, Kazuma moved past Naruto to welcome the newcomers with open arms. It was Sena, standing at the entrance of the mansion with a pair of officers standing behind her.

"Ah, well if it isn't Sena-San! What can I do for you today?"

"Y-you sure seem to be in a good mood…"

Sena stuttered at the man's disturbingly cheeky grin. She then cleared her throat before getting back on track.

"Ahem! There have been sightings of strange-looking monsters surrounding the town. Do you know anything about it?"

"Woah woah woah! You come knocking at my door this early in the morning and suspect me of being related to some random monster sightings!?"

His chirpy demeanor gone, Kazuma barked at the police officer for accusing him of such nonsense. Lately, this woman has been unrightfully accusing him of a bunch of problems and forcing him and his party to help them. Just the other day, his party was almost eaten by giant toads because of this!

Sena seemed to be taken back by the boy's sudden attitude change, but she quickly regained her senses and firmly held her ground.

"Lady Dustiness may have covered for you during the trial, but you're still a suspect of being under demonic mind control. Besides, matters such as this should be no trouble for an adventuring party that played big roles in the defeat of two high bounty targets."

What she said was technically right, but their victory over the Dullahan was mostly out of luck. But if he were to say that, then he wouldn't be able to brag about it at the adventurer's guild anymore.

"T-then what about Naruto!? He was prosecuted just like me! In fact, you arrested him first! So why aren't you making him help you with all these monster attacks!?"

"Eh!? U-U-Uzumaki Naruto-San is here too!?"

Sena stammered while unconsciously taking a step back upon noticing the blonde standing behind Kazuma.

…Oi. What's up with this kind of reaction again?

"Oh, you're the police lady that arrested me!"

Naruto pounded his fist into his hand when he remembered who this woman was. It seemed he was trying to recall Sena's identity this whole time.

"Y-yes… I apologize for my unjust actions, Uzumaki Naruto-San. I hope that you can forgive me for the trouble I have caused you."

Sena apologized with a ninety-degree bow, with the two officers behind her mirroring her actions.

"N-no, it's okay. You were only doing your job."

Naruto responded awkwardly while scratching at his whisker marks, his eyes drifting towards Aqua who had gone back to watching the flames of the firepit. Though he said that, just thinking back to the things that he was forced to admit was embarrassing.

Kazuma, on the other hand, was fuming. Why was Naruto getting special treatment!? Again! It wasn't fair!

"If that is all you've come here for, then you'll have to excuse us. Our party member is going through a difficult situation right now, and we must support her. Including Naruto."

Megumin said to the police lady, her eyes pinning on Kazuma at the last part.

It seems like Naruto was going to be coming with them to Darkness's household no matter what…

'No, wait! I can still get rid of Megumin for today! That way I'll be able to somewhat keep Naruto from doing something that'll bite us in the butt later!'

Kazuma's eyes gleamed for a second before he leaned over to Naruto.

"Hey, convince Megumin to go with Sena. She probably won't listen to me right now, but she'll listen to you."

"What? Why should I? So it'll make it easier for you to pawn off Darkness to that perverted noble's son?"

"N-no… You misunderstood that earlier, but I'll explain myself later. Megumin hasn't fired off her Explosion magic yet today, and we're going to Darkness's home. What do you think might happen if she blows a fuse while we're there?"

Hearing Kazuma's reasoning, Naruto gulped. While he was skeptical about trusting Kazuma right now, the boy had a solid reason for not wanting to bring Megumin to such a prominent place. One that he couldn't help but agree with.

"…Hey, Megumin. Come here for a second."

* * *

"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Lalatina?"

"Of course, father. I, Lalatina, have decided to attend the meeting for the arranged marriage."

"…Pfft!" x3

After leaving Megumin to go with Sena and the other officers to investigate the monster sightings, Darkness led the rest of the party, and Naruto, to her home.

Upon entering the Dustiness residence, the group was greeted by Darkness's father. He was a tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes with slight wrinkles on his face.

They tried to remain professional, as they were in the presence of their friend's father, who was a high ranking noble, but hearing Darkness's father calling her "Lalatina," and then Darkness referring to herself as such was almost too much for the others to handle. They could barely hold in their laughter.

It was just such a cute name! So unfitting for the hopeless Crusader that they knew!

As Darkness shot her friends an embarrassed glare, her father raised an eyebrow.

"And they are?"

"These are my adventuring partners. Kazuma, Aqua, and Naruto. They agreed to help out with the meeting as temporary servants."

Darkness responded while gesturing towards said friends.

"Hm… Very well. We shall prepare the appropriate attire for them."

The noble said, and with a single glance, the maids that were on standby off to the side nodded and left the room.

"I will be in my chambers, father. Send for me when my friends are properly dressed."

Darkness said, and with a short bow, she excused herself from the room as well.

After watching his daughter leave, the head of the Dustiness family turned to Naruto and Kazuma. Aqua had wandered off to admire all the expensive-looking paintings and antiques in the room.

"Now then… Kazuma-San, and Naruto-San, was it? Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Dustiness Ford Ignis. Regarding the arranged marriage, I was hoping I could entrust you boys to ensure the meeting's success."

Ignis said with a hopeful look in his eyes. They were the eyes of a father who wanted nothing than his daughter's happiness.

But…

"Sorry, sir. I don't mean any disrespect, but no can do! Darkness is a good friend of mine, so-"

"Ah, Naruto! Aqua's getting into trouble! Hurry and go stop her!"

"What!? H-hey, Aqua! Don't touch that expensive-looking vase!"

Just as Naruto was about to blurt out something unnecessary, Kazuma swiftly turned his attention towards Aqua, who was admiring a fancy vase on a pedestal.

"What? I didn't even touch it yet!"

"Yet!?"

While Aqua and Naruto began to argue, Kazuma let out a relieved sigh before turning back to Darkness's father, who had a rather confused look on his face.

"You'll have to excuse my friends, they're adventurers by heart. Now then, you were saying? About ensuring the meeting's success?"

"Y-yes, of course. Alderp may have a… Questionable reputation. But his son is a kind and respectable young man. It would put my aging heart at ease to wed my daughter off to a man with such a good reputation, and should the meeting succeed, I shall reward you properly."

"Hmm… Yes, I see. I completely understand-Wait, you'll reward us?"

Kazuma was caught entirely off guard by the man's sudden proposal.

A Reward? For getting rid of a useless party member?

"I will ensure our Ojou-San is well behaved this evening."

Kazuma finally responded after processing the sudden stroke of luck.

If this meeting was a success, not only would Darkness be married off and out of the party, but he'd also be getting a reward from a high ranking noble! With no debt to worry about, any compensation that they got from here on out was one-hundred percent profit!

Luck was finally looking his way!

On the other side of the room, Naruto stared at Kazuma suspiciously as the boy shook hands with Ignis.

It wasn't hard to figure out what Kazuma was scheming. After all, Naruto had spent a lot of time around Dust, and those two were quite similar. Especially when it came to money.

But with Kazuma trying to sell off Darkness, and Aqua's non-existent attention span, Naruto was on his own.

'Looks like I'm the only one that's trying to help Darkness… I better warn her about Kazuma-'

"Hey, I know it's hard for you not to lay your hands on me. But you can let go of me now. I promise not to touch anything, okay? Please?"

Aqua assured in a soothing voice, like a mother would to her child running a tantrum.

Naruto blinked when he was pulled out of his thoughts, and he realized he was literally holding Aqua in his arms right now. Her tiptoes were just barely on the floor.

He had grabbed her in a bear hug when he thought she was about to grab the vase. But he had been so absorbed in his thoughts, he'd forgotten to put her down.

'What are those idiots doing?'

Kazuma thought when he noticed Naruto and Aqua when it hit him.

'Wait, that reminds me. If I can also get Naruto to take Aqua off my hands, then I'll just be down to one problem child!'

He'd have to make sure that they didn't cross the line and create the next demon king, but that was a task for another day.

With that thought, a devilish smile crawled its way onto Kazuma's face.

"Ohoho… Are those two perhaps…?"

Ignis asked as he stifled a few chuckles into his gloved hand. At the same time, the maids returned with three sets of clothes. Two butler uniforms and a maid's outfit.

"Yes, yes. They're 'thing,' but they just won't admit it. I think they need some time to get their feelings straight. In the meantime, let's take our conversation to the hall. We can retrieve your daughter on the way. Shall we, Otou-San?"

Kazuma said and made a move to get the father to follow him into the hall, and the man was about to agree when the red-faced shinobi exploded into action.

"N-n-n-no need! I-I'll go get Darkness-Er, I mean Lalatina!"

Naruto stammered as he grabbed a pair of the butler's clothes from the maids and ran out the door, but not before coming back and shouting.

"Also, we're not a 'thing'!"

Slam!

After the sound of thumping footsteps faded away, a snickering sound came from the back of the room.

"Heh… That man just can't be honest with himself. Not that I blame him for acting like that around me."

Aqua said while shaking her head side-to-side.

'You're the last person who should be saying that.'

Kazuma thought with a twitching eyebrow.

* * *

Naruto sighed to himself as he walked down the long halls of the Dustiness estate with his head hung low.

Ever since they got back from Keele's Dungeon, it was getting harder and harder for him to deal with Aqua.

'Maybe I just need a vacation…'

' **A vacation from what? You're feelings? You've grown soft, Naruto. You should already know the solution to your problem is-'**

'I'm not killing Aqua.'

'… **I was going to suggest taking on that supposedly challenging quest the guild woman had withheld from you until recently. But obliterating that nasty witch that you seem worship for reasons that even I cannot comprehend comes as a close second.'**

'Why do all our conversations have to include either you complaining about being bored or you wanting to kill Aqua?'

' **Hey, this is your fault for bringing me to this Wonderfully boring world and falling for that fake goddess.'**

'But you said you wanted to come with me! Also, I haven't fallen for anyone!'

' **Sure, keep telling yourself that kiddo.'**

Kurama finished off the conversation with a snide remark before cutting off the mental connection, causing the blonde to growl in frustration.

It was true that things weren't exactly as exciting as he'd hoped, but this world had been quite fun. At least that's what Naruto believed.

But none of that mattered right now! He had to warn Darkness about Kazuma's betrayal!

"Ah! I forgot to ask where Darkness's room was!"

Naruto had been so caught up in the moment he left before asking for directions.

Well, it looks like he had no choice but to search for it the old-fashioned way-

"Naruto? What are you doing out here? Why aren't you with the others?"

As if Lady Luck was giving him a Blessing, Naruto turned to find Darkness standing in a newly opened door. She must have heard his shouting from inside the room she was in and went to investigate.

* * *

"What!? That glorious fiend! He's trying to sell my body to be forever used by that noble's perverted son!?"

"Yeah! No, wait! No! You're mixing in some weird things there!"

After retreating into Darkness's room, Naruto explained that Kazuma was now probably working for her father while changing into the butler's outfit. He had the girl face the other way, of course.

Her response was an angry, yet strangely thrilled expression.

Was she seriously enjoying this situation? Just how far gone was this woman?

"But anyways, what are we going to do? I hate to admit it, but Kazuma's got me beat in this department. I can't think of a way to sabotage the meeting without making either family look bad."

Naruto asked with his arms crossed over his chest, which was now covered by the butler's attire. While it wasn't as orange as he would have liked, it fit him quite well. Maybe they'd let him keep it?

"Yes… Kazuma has a strange affinity towards making negotiations lean in his favor. No doubt that man has taken advantage of my father's annoying persistence of marrying me off to a nice man for a profit."

Darkness absentmindedly commented some terrible things while tapping her chin in thought.

Oi oi oi. Apologize to both Kazuma and your father.

"Is Alderp's son actually a nice guy?"

Naruto found himself asking, deciding it would better to ignore what he had just heard.

"Yes, his reputation couldn't be more opposite than his father's. A caring nature, helpful to those around him, and even great with kids. I even heard that his looks rival that of the most handsome of nobles."

Darkness added while rolling her blue orbs because, in her eyes, such a man was too good for her tastes.

'Wait, so Darkness's father is trying to marry her off to a young man who's not only handsome but also kind… You know what? It's none of my business. I'm just gonna help her out because she's asking for it.'

After reassuring himself that he was in fact on the right side, Naruto went back to forming potential ideas.

"Hmm… I suppose we could try 'that'… Er, nevermind."

Naruto half-suggested before waving off the idea not even a second later. But this probed Darkness's curiosity.

"What is it?"

"No, nevermind. It was a dumb idea! Really!"

"Nonsense! I will abide by any ideas that you have, Naruto! No matter how terrible or shameful they may be! In fact, that only makes me want to know even more!"

"W-what…?"

Now Darkness was up in Naruto's face, demanding that he reveal his idea.

Was she getting the wrong idea about something? Gah! It was too hard to think with her breath right up in his face!

Why was dealing with this woman so difficult at times? Even if he didn't feel the same as he had felt about her from before the misunderstanding about her personality was cleared, the lack of personal boundaries still got to him!

"F-fine…! Just back up a little! You're too close!"

Naruto finally caved and stepped back a few paces before he started poking his fingers together awkwardly.

This caused Darkness to realize something that she should have realized a long time ago.

They were alone in her room, just the two of them. Again!

The last time she was alone in her room with Naruto was… and they… Oh god!

Darkness shuddered in anticipation.

What kind of deviant ideas were lurking inside this boy's mind to make him act so bashful!? They were all alone, behind closed doors, with no one to disturb them!

What was he planning to make her do!?

Just thinking about all the potential outcomes was driving her crazy!

After building up the courage, Naruto formed the best smile he could muster, albeit slightly awkward.

"We could pretend to be dating? Hehe…"

. . .

"Tch… Still too pure…"

"Wha-Huh!?"

As if something threatened to snap deep inside of him, Naruto really felt like slapping this woman.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh Darkness… Never change.**

 **By the way, did you guys like the pun in the title? :P**

 **Time to see what Naruto and Darkness will do to crash this Wonderful arranged marriage interview!**

 **See you in the next one!**

 **B/N: Don't do it Naruto. You may or may not give in to your dreams if you do.**


	62. Derailing this Wonderful Interview

…How did it come to this?

"What are hesitating for? *Pant!* *Pant!* H-hurry and tighten it some more!"

"A-are you sure you're okay with this? Your clothes are tearing…"

They were just brainstorming ideas to crash the arranged marriage interview not too long ago, but…

"Ngh! T-that's perfect! Now, say the lines!"

"I don't know if I can…"

"What are you wussing out for!? You call yourself a man!?"

Seriously, how did it come to this!?

* * *

Kazuma was walking down the halls of the Dustiness mansion with an irritated expression stretching across his face.

"Jeez… Just what are those two thinking? Especially Naruto, leaving and then making us wait like this?"

Ten minutes have passed since Naruto stormed out of the room to change and get Darkness, so Kazuma decided to go and retrieve them himself.

'Wait, they're probably coming up with a plan to ruin the meeting right now! Like hell I'll let that happen!'

With that thought, Kazuma picked up his pace down the great hall. He cut around the corner before breaking into a full-on sprint towards the room Darkness's father told him his daughter would be in.

Slam!

"Alright, you two! It's time to-!"

"You like being tied up, don't you! Filthy pig woman! Sq-sq-squeal… for… me…"

The moment Kazuma burst into the room, his eyes fell upon something amazing.

Darkness was face-first on the ground, her cheeks as hot as the air that she was releasing, all the while, her torso was bound by a set of rope. The rope was so tight that her dress was torn in various places, and her large bust seemed like it was about to burst out of the fabric at any moment.

The owner of the rope, Naruto, had one foot placed between Darkness's shoulder blades as he released some incredible words.

But the shinobi's words died in his mouth the moment that Kazuma walked in and saw them.

A crushing silence overtook the room, the only sound being Darkness's ragged breaths.

Darkness seemed to be enjoying herself so much that she didn't even notice the newcomer in the room, but when Naruto ceased his verbal lashings, a disapproving frown grew on her flushed features.

"Hey! Why'd you… Stop…"

It was then that she noticed Kazuma, whose face had lost all emotion.

Nothing could describe the look in Kazuma's eyes. The boy looked desolated as if he'd lost all hope in the two blondes that he was staring at.

' _There's no hope for these two…'_ Is what both Naruto and Darkness could surely hear oozing out of their friend's expression.

"…"

Then, without uttering a single word, Kazuma left and closed the door.

"W-w-w-w-wait a second!" x2

* * *

A few minutes later, and the trio walked back into the room where the meeting would be taking place.

Naruto and Darkness hung their heads low with the highest amount of shame that they had ever felt in their entire lives.

They had chased after Kazuma after he left without saying anything and begged him not to tell anyone.

Kazuma ended up using it against them and claimed that he wouldn't ask anything in exchange that they'd behave themselves during the meeting, which would be starting soon.

Of course, they had no choice but to accept the terms. But they had far from given up.

"Neh, Naruto! Naruto! Don't I look fantastic in this dress? You're probably so quiet right now because you can't maintain your excitement, right? You poor thing…"

Aqua chimed and did a couple of spins to show off her maid attire, which consisted of a frilly black dress and a white apron.

Naruto looked up from his gloomy staring contest with the ground, and his eyes widened, if only slightly. He thought the girl looked cute in the outfit, really cute, in fact, but he just couldn't muster the energy to compliment her in his usual manner.

Seriously… Why did Darkness make him do something like that? It was so similar to what Morrigan had forced him to do his dreams.

But the worst part of it all was, he was beginning to enjoy himself. It was almost as if he was starting to step into a very dark place.

If Kazuma hadn't walked in when he had, Naruto feared that he wouldn't have been able to go back.

Giving the goddess a thumbs up, Naruto took his place next to Kazuma behind the couch that Darkness and her father were sitting on.

Aqua pouted at the lackluster compliment but smiled nonetheless and took her place next to the shinobi.

"Lalatina… I'm truly glad that you agreed to attend this meeting, but you're wearing a different dress than before. Did the other one that I chose for this occasion not suit your fashion?"

Ignis asked his daughter worriedly.

"N-not at all, father! I just thought this dress would appeal to our guest more is all! A-ahah hah…"

Darkness lied through her teeth and laughed into her hand, awkwardly.

"But father… You should know that I only agreed to attend this meeting. That doesn't mean I'm going to agree to marry this man. Fufufu… Hahaha!"

"L-Lalatina!?"

The older noble stuttered, clearly at a loss for words at his daughter's unsightly behavior.

Naruto and Kazuma were surprised as well. What had happened to the girl that was worried about her family's image!?

"Yes! I decided it's still too soon for me to get married! So I'll destroy this stupid meeting! Ohohoho!"

Just as Darkness's declaration concluded, the doors opened up, and a handsome young man with both brown hair and brown eyes walked in. Obviously, this must have been Alderp's son, if the bowing of the staff meant anything, which was strange, considering that the man looked nothing like his father.

Her eyes set on her target, Darkness stood up and began to make her way towards the entrance.

"So! You are the man they intend for me to marry! I am Dustiness Ford Lalatina! You can refer to me as Mistress-Oof!"

But just as she passed Kazuma, she tripped over his out-stretched appendage.

* * *

"I knew it! You intended to betray me!"

Standing just outside the meeting room, Darkness shouted at Kazuma with teary eyes.

The moment Darkness started acting very unladylike, Kazuma decided it would be best to take things outside the room.

"Did you forget the part about not sullying your family's name?"

Kazuma responded with a sweatdrop.

"I'm not siding with Kazuma, but he's got a point. If you didn't care about your family's image, then all of that earlier would have been for nothing…"

Naruto said while scratching at his whisker marks. He honestly didn't understand what was going on in his fellow blonde's mind right now, and he wasn't sure if he even wanted to.

"Wait, that's it Naruto! Let us demonstrate what we practiced earlier! Then surely-"

"Hell no!"

Darkness began to suggest they repeat the embarrassing act Kazuma had walked in on them doing just minutes ago, but Naruto instantly shot down the idea.

"Tch… Coward."

The crusader clicked her teeth while looking away in a fit.

'T-this little…!'

Naruto clenched his jaw and gripped his fists in anger. Now he really wanted to slap this girl!

Kazuma sighed. At least his friend was learning. In the end, that's all that mattered.

"I don't get it. That man is handsome and seems kind enough. Plus, he's rich and probably wouldn't make you work. Why are you so opposed to marrying him?"

Aqua innocently asked, only to step back in fear when Darkness turned her fury towards her.

"That's exactly why I can't marry him! He's too kind, works hard, and never angers towards anyone! The kind of man I want is one that has a vulgar grin on their face at all times as he licks me down with his eyes all day, like Kazuma!"

"I-I do no such thing!"

Kazuma heatedly denied.

"He should also enjoy leading other women on like it's second nature to him as well as toying with my insecurities, like Naruto!"

"L-like hell I do that!"

Naruto sputtered as he denied the female knight's blasphemous words as well, but like Kazuma, he was completely ignored as Darkness continued her speech.

"The type I like is one that isn't competent at all, a failure at life! He's in a rut all year round, always tries to take the easiest route, and despite my love for him, is easily swayed by another woman's affection! The more perverse he is, the better! Not to mention the debt he always collects! That way, his weak will shall force him to drink all day and force me to pay for the debt by selling my slutty body! *Hah!* *Hah!* *Hah!*."

. . .

Naruto was stunned. He knew Darkness was weird-no, beyond weird. But to openly declare that she wanted a man that would treat her so horribly was so pitiful, he almost wanted to cry.

This woman was beyond help. He felt like his best option was to go home.

'Great. Now I'm starting to sound like Kazuma.'

Shaking his head, Naruto placed a shoulder on the cackling Darkness's shoulder and gave her a sincere smile.

"Don't worry, Darkness… No matter how far you fall, I promise to always be your friend."

"D-d-don't tell me something like that with a genuine smile!"

* * *

After the brief "heart-to-heart" between friends, the group went back to the meeting room to meet with Alderp's son.

Alexei Barnes Walter was his name and more or less seemed like an all-round nice guy. He was so nice, in fact, that it was almost annoying. The man almost reminded Naruto of a particular magic sword wielder, minus the hero complex of course.

But Naruto still wasn't completely satisfied. He may have discovered just how hopeless Darkness was, but he refused to marry her off to the son of a corrupt noble who was involving himself with demonic contracts.

At least, not before testing the guy first.

Thanks to Kazuma keeping Darkness in check every time she tried to speak in a very non-noble-like manner, the introductions went mostly smoothly.

Ignis then suggested for them to take a walk in the family's garden so that Darkness and Alexei could get to know each other better.

The five of them were currently strolling the exterior of the massive property.

Deciding to leave Darkness in Kazuma's hands, for the time being, Naruto decided to spend some time with Aqua when the girl pulled him over towards the pond in the center of the garden. He felt like he needed a break from all the stress that Darkness had put him through earlier.

How Kazuma was able to deal with not just Darkness, but Aqua and Megumin every single day was beyond the shinobi.

"What'd you wanna show me, Aqua?"

Naruto asked as he took a seat on the grass, and the goddess happily skipped over to the edge of the pond before flashing him a toothy grin.

"Just watch!"

She said and spun on her heel until she was facing the water. Raising her hands, she clapped a couple times.

"What are you… Woah!"

Just as Naruto was about to question the girl's actions, a bunch of fish started splashing out of the water.

Her grin only grew upon seeing the shinobi's reaction. Aqua then made a couple distinctive motions with her hands as though she were making commands.

To the shinobi's surprise, the pond fish began to swim in all different directions until they began to form a particular symbol.

"That's…"

Naruto's voiced trailed off, his hand unconsciously reaching for his headband.

The fish had positioned themselves to create the symbol that represented the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Hehe… Aren't I great? You can praise me if you want to."

Aqua stated with her hands placed proudly on her hips, but she was startled when Naruto suddenly grabbed her hands.

"You're amazing, Aqua! Really!"

Naruto said with stars in his eyes, prompting the bluenette to take a step back in surprise. But they were too close to the pond, so the girl lost her footing and grabbed onto Naruto at the last second, dragging the unfortunate teen with her.

"Wah!" x2

Splash!

The fish scattered as Aqua and Naruto fell into the pond, both soaking their maid/butler's attire as they landed on their butts.

"…Pfft! Hahaha!"

Finding the situation strangely amusing, Naruto suddenly started laughing. Aqua puffed her cheeks out before joining in the laughter shortly after.

Naruto wiped a lone tear from his eye, his thoughts going back to the events of Keele's Dungeon as he watched her laughing face. Suddenly, he felt like he couldn't take his eyes off the goddess of water.

That's right… He had decided that he had a crush on this girl.

Aqua had a lot of faults, more than he could count. She also caused him a lot of trouble, made him angry, and caused a lot of problems for Kazuma.

But at the same time, she made him laugh, gave him quirky gifts, and had given him lots of irreplaceable memories.

As difficult as it was to tolerate this bratty self-proclaimed goddess sometimes, she was just as fun to be around the other times. He couldn't imagine his life in Axel without her.

"Hey, Aqua…"

Naruto started, and blue stared into blue when Aqua stopped laughing to look at him.

"H-huh? What, what? A-a-are you thinking of doing what I think you're doing!?"

For some reason, Aqua started sputtering in her words, and it only caused Naruto to become nervous as well.

Wait, why was he getting nervous? What did she think he was going to say?

' **Ugh… Just say it already! Any more of this tiptoeing bullshit and I'm gonna vomit!'**

Kurama suddenly shouted, which only caused the shinobi to become even more confused.

'Wait… Does Aqua think I'm going to confess!? I-I-I was only going to thank her for being my friend!'

' **Too late now, kid! Just get it over with so we can get past this awkward nonsense!'**

'H-hang on! Isn't this a little sudden!? Besides, I thought you hated Aqua!'

' **I do, but I loathe hesitation even more! So suck it up and say it!'**

With Kurama's questionable words of encouragement, Naruto gulped and steeled himself for what he was about to say. But the way Aqua was nervously poking her fingers together while looking up and down at him was almost too adorable to bear!

"A-Aqua… I-"

RIIIIIIIP!

Just before Naruto could finish his sentence, the sound of fabric being torn could be heard from across the garden.

Naruto and Aqua turned to see Darkness toss aside the lower part of her dress and point towards Alexei.

"I've had enough of these games! I challenge you to a duel!"

* * *

"Kazuma…! I thought you were going to keep her under control! What happened!?"

Naruto hissed into Kazuma's ear as they watched Darkness duel with Alexei in her family's training hall.

Well, it was supposed to be a duel. But Darkness had yet to land a single hit on the nobleman. As expected of the Crusader of Kazuma's party.

"I was, but how was I supposed to stop her from tearing her dress like that?"

Kazuma responded, his eyes never leaving the battle involving his party member.

"…Oi. I can tell your eyes haven't left Darkness's uncovered parts this whole time, ya know?"

Naruto stated while staring at his fellow adventurer flatly.

"S-s-s-shut up! As if you're any better! Mr. flirting in the pond! Did you have a nice time with Aqua while I was doing all the work, huh!?"

Kazuma barked, and this time his eyes left the ongoing battle so he could glare at the shinobi.

Naruto fumbled with his words, but he couldn't find a comeback. After all, he was so caught up in the moment earlier with Aqua he almost did something he wouldn't have been able to come back from.

"Uh-huh… That's what I thought."

Kazuma grunted when Naruto averted his gaze. Aqua was standing off to the side, seemingly daydreaming again for whatever reason.

A vein then popped on Naruto's forehead. That was the last straw.

"Hey! At least I'm not trying to marry off my friends to a corrupt noble's son for a profit! I can see why they call you _Scumzuma_ and _Kazutrash_!"

"How rude! Well, what about you!? You're all lovey-dovey with Aqua right now, but what about Wiz!? Or that cute mage in your party!? Not to mention those Succubi that showed up at my mansion that one time! I've been meaning to ask, but why were they acting so familiar with you!? I can see why they call you _Naruto the Player_!"

"I thought we were past that misunderstanding! But what should I have expected from the guy who paid to have a dream of a female version of his friend!"

"N-n-now listen here, you fake ninja!"

"Who's a fake ninja!?"

By now, Naruto and Kazuma's argument had taken the floor. Darkness and Alexei had long since ceased their duel and were both watching the two boys argue with one another. But after seeing their heated states, a dark smile grew on Darkness's lips.

"You see!? This is what I was talking about! They try to hide it, but these men are savages to the core! If it weren't for my other two-party members, Kazuma would have surely forced himself upon me by now! Also, sometime in the past, Naruto had snuck into my room to steal my precious thing! He may have wimped out back then, but I have high hopes that one day, he'll succumb to his true nature!"

Darkness shouted for everyone in the room to hear, and all eyes fell onto her.

"My word…"

Alexei whispered into his gloved hand as he turned towards both Naruto and Kazuma, as if to seek their affirmation.

But the boys didn't answer. No, they were too fed up with a certain Crusader to care about what a total stranger thought of them.

"…Hey, Naruto. Help me out here."

"…You got it, Kazuma."

Eyes covered by their bangs, Naruto and Kazuma slowly began to walk towards the smiling Darkness.

"Y-yes! Show him what you two are truly capable of!"

The female knight excitedly demanded and pointed towards each of them.

"Kazuma! Show us that you are a man that promotes gender equality and boasts his willingness to drop-kick women! Naruto! Show us that hidden talent to humiliate women where it counts the most! Destroy my pride like you did Aqua and Megumin in the past!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, something snapped in the minds of both Naruto and Kazuma.

Poof!

Seemingly out of nowhere, a dozen plumes of smoke appeared around Darkness. When the mist disappeared, a bunch of clones surrounded the Crusader.

"A-ah! So many…! W-with this many numbers, I'll hardly be able to put up a fight! They'll hold me down, undress me, and one by one they'll have their way with me as everyone watches! Ngh…! I knew it! I knew you had it in you, Naruto! Now! Come at me!"

Darkness rambled on while hugging her form tightly, her imagination running wild at the thought of being surrounded by so many men. She then pointed her wooden sword at each of the clones until it was directed at the original.

"Kazuma… Let's do _that_."

Naruto suggested, to which Kazuma readily agreed to.

"Roger that…"

With that said, the duo sprang into action.

Darkness, her eyes never leaving the shinobi in front of her, gasped in surprise when he disappeared from her view. But she didn't have much time to search when she was suddenly hit by a torrent of water.

" **Create Water!"**

"Mmmf!?"

Now soaked to the bone, Darkness turned to face Kazuma with a beaming expression.

"As expected of Kazuma! To use magic in a duel of wooden swor-Nnngh!"

Darkness was about to charge towards Kazuma, but right after her first step, she felt a presence behind her, and she dropped her sword when all her limbs started going numb.

" **Paralyze."**

Naruto coldly revealed his most recently learned skill as the knight struggled to stay on her two feet.

Despite being hit by the paralyzing skill, Darkness remained standing. Her resistances were simply too much.

After a bit of struggling, Darkness managed to turn around and tried to grab Naruto, but the shinobi jumped just out of her reach.

"N-ngh…! As expected of the men who have defeated the Dullahan and the mobile Destroyer! But is that all you got!? I won't break that easily!"

Darkness declared, and with some effort, she managed to shrug off the effects of Naruto's Paralyze. She then turned towards Kazuma and made a mad dash for the guy, her eyes dead set on snapping him in two.

" **Create Earth!"**

"Kyah!"

Without hesitation, Kazuma raised his hand again and used another elementary level spell. This time, a bucket's worth of dirt shot out of his hand and hit Darkness right in the face.

Because she was still soaked from Kazuma's previous spell, Darkness was now covered head-to-toe in mud.

Slipping on the mud that had fallen from her body, the female knight had no chance of catching herself and collapsed onto the ground.

For a few seconds, she just laid there. Hot, heavy breaths escaped her mouth. She was in complete ecstasy. Not only was her dress a total mess, but her entire body was turned into a mud cake.

'And the best part is… All of these people are watching me with lecherous eyes! Ngh…! This is almost too much~!'

Darkness thought while trying to cover the parts of her skin that weren't being covered in mud from being seen by the audience's "perverted" gazes.

Then-

" _Wow… That's Darkness?"_

" _She looks like she's actually enjoying herself…"_

" _What a hopeless woman…"_

-The clones that had previously just been spectating suddenly began talking. Or rather, they began to berate the girl with insults. With each clone saying something worse than the previous one.

"W-what? Eh?"

Darkness seemed taken aback by the sudden onslaught of insults. Never had she thought Naruto would give her such a verbal beating. Kazuma, without a doubt, but the shinobi just seemed too nice.

" _Such a nasty look in her eyes…"_

" _She has such a cute name too… Lalatina-Chan…"_

" _What a waste…"_

As Darkness was bathing in Naruto's verbal onslaught, Kazuma looked at the shinobi with a raised eyebrow.

Truth be told, Kazuma had formed a sort of "contingency plan" for each girl in his party in case one of them started getting out of hand. He had shared these plans with Naruto one night while they were drinking at the adventurer's guild.

But some of the insults Naruto was using were totally new. Where was the ninja getting these ideas?

Taking a closer look at Naruto, Kazuma noticed his eyes were a deep crimson red. It almost seemed like he was possessed by a-

'Ah! Is he letting the demon fox speak for him!? Are we going to be okay!?'

Upon noticing Kazuma's surprised face, Kurama flashed him a toothy grin, which showed off his enlarged canines. It was actually a pretty creepy image.

" _ **I'm going to use you as my personal meat shield on our next quest…"**_

" _ **Because that's all you're good for…"**_

" _ **Meat bag…"**_

That was the last push she needed. Darkness's eyes went wide and rolled to the back of her head. The last thing she saw was Naruto standing over her with the most feral grin she had ever seen.

It was… Amazing.

"Guh…"

" **Kahahaha! Did you see that woman squirm!? All I did was reach into her innermost desires and scorn her for them!"**

Kurama stated in a dark voice while cackling with laughter.

'Scary! Naruto's demon is scary!'

Kazuma thought while hiding behind Aqua, who had just snapped out of her dreamland.

"Ah! Naruto's been taken over by the demon! Take this, devil scum! **Purification!** "

Aqua shouted and shot out her hands towards Naruto and his clones, and a magic circle appeared indicating the activation of her skill.

" **Kahaha-Graaaaah!"** x13

Kurama and the rest of his clones screamed out in pain as they took the full brunt of the goddess's purification spell, which resulted in the clones disappearing and Naruto's eyes reverting back to their regular blue.

"Puhehe! Take that, devil scum!"

Aqua chortled with laughter while Kazuma gave her a silent thumbs-up, as the boy was relieved that the scary voice was gone.

Naruto, now back in control of his body, sweatdropped as he listened to the ranting Bijuu inside his mind.

' **Curse that wretched creature! Curse these restraints! Just you wait, woman… When I get out of here, not even your blasphemous cult will escape my wrath!'**

'Why does Aqua's purification skill even hurt you, Kurama? You're technically not even a demon…'

' **Brat… Have you ever been forced to have your very life's essence change properties!? That excrement is technically a goddess, so the pain is excruciating!'**

'A-ah… I never thought of it that way. Sorry…'

So that's how it worked. Now Naruto felt really bad, as he had basically told Kurama to "suck it up!" whenever Aqua purified them.

* * *

 **A/N: What was this chapter about again? Oh yeah, Darkness's arranged marriage meeting… Oh well!**

 **B/N: Hide me from the cringe. Its everywhere!**


End file.
